Malcolm Turnbull’s boasting that he was integral in creating an Australian edition of the Green-Left activist British website, The Guardian, has raised fundamental questions over his loyalty to the Liberal cause, according to Coalition ministers.
Federal Housing Minister and Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar said the revelation had raised questions about the former prime minister’s motives for wanting to start a progressive news outlet in Australia.
“Malcolm Turnbull freely admitting that he helped establish The Guardian confirms what many in the Liberal Party have thought for a long time … that he was the most left-wing prime minister Australia has had since Whitlam,” Mr Sukkar said. “It also partly confirms another belief that he simply used the Liberal Party as a vehicle to fulfil his own ambitions to become prime minister … and not because he subscribed to the values of the party.
“I will also be interested to read his recollections of the disastrous 2016 election campaign where the government lost (a net) 14 seats, losing many great Liberal MPs who Turnbull chose not to even acknowledge in his cringe-worthy election night speech.”
Liberal senator Eric Abetz said: “Nothing surprises me about revelations of Mr Turnbull helping left-wing causes like The Guardian. He then lacks the self-awareness to understand why those of us on the conservative side of politics questioned his judgement and motivation. It’s really quite sad.”
A senior cabinet minister told The Australian the admission by Mr Turnbull in his memoir, A Bigger Picture, was “unbelievable”.
