{"id":54753,"date":"2017-12-16T06:07:55","date_gmt":"2017-12-16T06:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=54753"},"modified":"2017-12-16T06:07:55","modified_gmt":"2017-12-16T06:07:55","slug":"australian-pms-future-stake-crucial-sydney-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/australian-pms-future-stake-crucial-sydney-election.html","title":{"rendered":"Australian PM’s future at stake in crucial Sydney by-election"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australian PM’s future at stake in crucial Sydney by-election<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Australian PM’s future at stake in crucial Sydney by-election:- Voters began casting ballots in a Sydney by-election on Saturday that could determine the future of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is hoping to regain his parliamentary majority and safeguard his leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n

The election campaign in the blue-ribbon Sydney seat of Bennelong has been bitterly fought between the center-right government\u2019s candidate, former tennis star John Alexander, and the Labor opposition\u2019s Kristina Keneally, a high-profile former premier of New South Wales, Australia\u2019s most populous state.<\/span><\/p>\n

The outcome of the election could have serious repercussion\u2019s for Turnbull\u2019s conservative coalition. If Alexander loses, the government will again be forced to govern in minority and rely on the support of independent lawmakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

John Warhurst, a professor of political science at the Australian National University in Canberra, said Turnbull\u2019s position would be untenable should the government lose the by-election.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything would be on the table, including Malcolm Turnbull\u2019s leadership,\u201d Warhurst said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander is re-contesting the seat after he stepped down in early November when he was swept up in a citizenship crisis that has so far seen 10 lawmakers leave parliament, either forced out by court rulings or by their own choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

He left parliament because he believed he might hold dual British citizenship, which he has since rescinded. Australia\u2019s constitution bars foreign nationals from sitting in parliament to prevent split allegiances.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turnbull\u2019s coalition has been forced to govern in minority since October, when the citizenship crisis cost him several cabinet members and wiped out his razor-thin majority. Among those forced out was Turnbull\u2019s deputy, Barnaby Joyce, who has since won back his seat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will be casting a judgment on the government, which I lead, of course,\u201d Turnbull told Melbourne radio station 3AW.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander is also favored to win back his seat, but the comfortable margin of almost 20 percentage points that he won by in 2016 is expected to shrink significantly after a robust campaign by Keneally and Labor, who have urged voters to use the election to punish the government.<\/span><\/p>\n

The race tightened in recent days amid a diplomatic spat between Australia and China, sparked when Turnbull accused Beijing of improper interference in Canberra.<\/span><\/p>\n

One in five Bennelong voters has Chinese heritage and Turnbull\u2019s Liberal Party fears a backlash in a potentially tight race.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turnbull, who has lagged in opinion polls all year, and his minority government have already been forced to accept a widespread banking inquiry after independent members in parliament flexed their new-found power.<\/span><\/p>\n

Results of the by-election may not be announced until Sunday, due to the high number of postal votes made before the election and which are always counted last.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-australia-politics\/australian-pms-future-at-stake-in-crucial-sydney-by-election-idUSKBN1EA03V<\/span><\/p>\n

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