Oh boy. Oooh boy.
You know how Malcolm Turnbull’s government snuck into power with only the slimmest of majorities? How obvious it was to everyone that the Liberal Party is in a bloody precarious position?
Welp, their tenuous advantage was temporarily dashed this arvo when the party found itself seriously understaffed in the House of Representatives. The very seats the Coalition fought so hard for were left totally empty when it counted – literally.
It’s not a good look. Not at all. Here’s one take on how much of a fuck-up this was:
Looks like Dutton’s absence from HoR just saw Labor win 3 votes… Labor says first time since ’62 majority Govt has lost a vote.
— David Lipson (@davidlipson) September 1, 2016
Because a) this occurrence is rare as hen’s teeth and b) because politics is a goddamn bloodsport, Labor and independents Andrew Wilkie, Rebekha Sharkie and Bob Katter steamrolled their way through a series of votes.
Read: one of Labor’s cornerstone election promises could have been stamped out by the Coalition in zero time flat, but a series of avoidable personnel SNAFUs meant the debate wore on for far, far longer than the government would have liked.
@davidlipson at least he was doing something very important. Speaking to me and youth of Australia on @triplejHack!
— Tom Tilley (@TomTilley) September 1, 2016
Expect some very senior operators in the Liberal Party to receive an absolute bollocking over this.
PM Malcolm Turnbull and Christopher Pyne after the govt. lost 2 divisions in the house @gabriellechan @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/Lw6RNxdcJm
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) September 1, 2016
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: Stefan Postles / Getty.
