The new government under Malcolm Turnbull has fast-tracked legislation for the agreement, trying to pressure Labor – which has concerns it will cost Australian jobs – to lock in the deal.
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Turnbull will be Australia’s fifth Prime Minister in five years, and according to the BBC, “Many in his party dislike his support for climate change action and gay marriage”.
Successive opinion polls showed that the government was likely to lose in next September’s elections under Abbott’s leadership.
“I am very humbled by it. We need to have in this country, and we will have now, an economic vision, a leadership that explains the great challenges and opportunities that we face”, Turnbull said.
Palmer United Party’s vote continues to plummet with only 0.8% of those surveyed saying they would vote for the fledging party – a far cry from the 5.5% it registered at the last federal election.
“He is popular with the public, but not within his own party, Chen said”.
Labor’s Kevin Rudd, elected prime minister with a strong mandate in 2007, was deposed by his deputy, Julia Gillard, in 2010 amid the same sort of poll numbers that Abbott faced.
Mr Turnbull, a former Rhodes Scholar and banker who has long coveted the prime ministership, later appeared extremely relaxed sitting in the leader’s chair for question time.
It is unclear if Mr Abbott’s family will be present.
Earlier on Wednesday it was reported that Mr Turnbull had spoken to his predecessor, but that Mr Abbott had not told him whether he intended to stay in Parliament.
Turnbull has still not announced his new cabinet arrangements but said his final decision will be made over the weekend.
Like most senior colleagues, he said he was becoming increasingly concerned that the party’s position was becoming irretrievable under Tony Abbott’s leadership.
“Our country deserves better than that”.
“Australians rejected Malcolm Turnbull when he was opposition leader because he was out of touch and he was arrogant – and he hasn’t changed”.
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Under former premier Tony Abbott the 19-member cabinet included just two women, and Abbott himself was responsible for women’s policies, a move that rankled after he had been accused of sexist and outdated thinking.
