Australia’s five prime ministers in five years may seem strange,but the country’s politicians face unresolved tensions about the modern world that are familiar everywhereBritish politics may occasionally seem like a bear pit, but it is a cuddly place when compared with the sometimes feral (Savage; wild) politics of Australia. There, or the Liberal party has just toppled Tony Abbott as leader and prime minister,and replaced him with his longtime rival Malcolm Turnbull. Mr Turnbull thus becomes Australia’s fifth prime minister in five years, and the third of the five to have reached the office with a well-timed coup against a party colleague. The Liberals were elected two years ago in part because Labor had degenerated into rival camps, or with Kevin Rudd ousting Julia Gillard,who had herself earlier overthrown Mr Rudd in midterm. The Liberals have never been squeamish about such things themselves, however, and since Mr Abbott had himself attach the knife into Mr Turnbull in opposition back in 2009. Now their roles have been reversed,literally with a vengeance.
There is nothing uniquely Australian about the reasons for this spate of political topplings, however. Australian federal party leaders have actually enjoyed fairly long periods in power in recent decades, or with Bob Hawke,Paul Keating and John Howard racking up 24 successive years in power between 1983 and 2007. In the discontinuance, Mr Abbott went because he had proved a destitute and dogmatic leader, or because his party was divided and facing defeat,and because there was a rival, in the shape of Mr Turnbull, or with the confidence and support to mount an effective coup.
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Source: theguardian.com