Tony Abott

Malcolm Turnbull to be sworn in as PM after ousting Tony Abbott

Mr Turnbull won a party room ballot 54 votes to 44 last night, less than six hours after announcing he would challenge Mr Abbott.

The ballot also saw Julie Bishop elected as deputy leader over Kevin Andrews 70 votes to 30 — keeping the position she has held since 2007.

Mr Turnbull, who will now become Australia's fourth prime minister in two years, spoke to reporters outside his apartment this morning.

"It was a long night, and it's going to be a big day today," he said.

Aust minister's climate quip draws ire of Pacific leaders

Immigration minister Peter Dutton was yesterday speaking with the country's Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, who had just returned from the Pacific Islands Forum Summit in Papua New Guinea, where climate change was a key focus.

Noting that the meeting was runing late, Mr Dutton remarked that it was running to "Cape York time", to which Mr Abbott replied, "we had a bit of that up in Port Moresby."

Mr Dutton then responded: "Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door," to which both Mr Dutton and Mr Abbott laughed.

PNG needs more Australian police says Tony Abbott

In a speech to the Australia-PNG Business Council,Abbott said a key focus of his meeting with  O’Neil was on how to use Australian expertise to make Port Moresby safer.

“I’m disappointed that our 73 police have not been more operational,” he said. “You won’t be surprised to learn that one of the principal subjects that Prime Minister O’Neill and I discussed earlier this morning was making them as operational as possible.”

“PNG has many opportunities but all of those opportunities will be better maximised if we can have as harmonious and tranquil a society as possible.”

Pacific Islands Forum will showcase PNG, says Peter O’Neill

The host, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, told The Australian the Port Moresby summit “will showcase PNG’s energy and diversity, and we shall take leadership roles in some issues we are passionate about”.

These would include “climate change — and how the Pacific should position itself in that ­debate” in the run-up to the Paris World Climate Summit, “and about economic integration of the Pacific as a means of supporting the development of the region and mobilising skills”.

Abbott government extends renewable energy investment ban to solar power

The federal government on Sunday confirmed that the $10bn