The penny dropped Friday when it was confirmed Pyne, after 26 years, was stepping down at the election, along with fellow cabinet minister Steven Ciobo.
If Sturt is lost at the election, which many in the Liberal Party believe is now possible, that polling will enable Pyne to argue he left it in good hands. Not my fault.
Pyne has been the great survivor of Australian politics. He has held the seat for 26 years, making him the second-longest serving MP in the house after Kevin Andrews. As both Labor and his multiple factional enemies alike have found, he has been harder to get rid of than blackberries.
“Only Pyne can kill Pyne,” it was said. And so it has proved to be.
His departure, and that of Ciobo – and we anticipate Craig Laundy – is a hammer blow in terms of confidence just months from an election the Coalition is struggling to win.
When Michael Keenan and Nigel Scullion followed Kelly O’Dwyer and walked out last month, we were assured that was it, no more ministerial resignations. The departure of Pyne and Ciobo reeks of defeat.
Pyne, in his defence, fought to save Malcolm Turnbull and when he could not, used the 32 votes he controlled to ensure Scott Morrison won the leadership over Peter Dutton, who surely would have led the party to wrack and ruin.
Ciobo has been angry for a long time. His betrayal of Turnbull saw him left in cabinet but with diminished duties. He ran for deputy leader and was humiliated.
His colleagues believe the former trade minister has been angling for a trade job, popping up at various international forums in recent months, glad-handing.
There was considerable anger Friday towards Ciobo and Keenan, both of whom as cabinet minsters played key roles in the Coalition’s downfall by betraying Turnbull and are now walking at five minutes to midnight.
Ciobo’s seat is safe. Keenan’s is in danger.
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