It's time to take a quick break from Britain and America and look at Australian politics, which has been eventful. In August, Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, narrowly survived a leadership challenge from Peter Dutton, the home affairs minister, as well as two no-confidence votes called by the opposition.
His victory proved short-lived, as Dutton announced he was challenging Turnbull again. When Turnbull refused to call another leadership election, his party overruled him, causing him to resign.
As well as resigning as prime minister, Turnbull decided to leave politics entirely, stepping down as an MP with immediate effect. This triggered a by-election in his constituency, which will take place on Saturday, 20 October.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Betfair has the Liberal candidate (Turnbull's party) as the favourite, with odds of 1.38 (72.5%), the Labor candidate at 12 (7.8%), and any other party at 3.4 (29.4%). Australian by-election elections can be unpredictable, and the leadership battle left the Liberal Party bitterly divided.
There was controversy over the choice of Dave Sharma as candidate against the wishes of Scott Morrison, the new prime minister. Yet this is a safe Liberal seat, where Labor got less than a fifth of first preferences, and only a third of the two-party preference vote, at the last election. A stronger challenge may come from independent candidate Kerryn Phelps. But it's hard to envisage anything other than a Liberal victory, so bet accordingly.
-
What happens if you can’t pay your tax bill, and what is "Time to Pay"?Millions are due to file their tax return this Friday as the self-assessment deadline closes. Though the nightmare is not over until you pay the taxman what you owe - or face a penalty. But what happens if you can't afford to pay HMRC your tax bill, and what is "Time to Pay"?
-
What does Rachel Reeves’s plan for growth mean for UK investors?Rachel Reeves says she is going “further and faster” to kickstart the UK economy, but investors are unlikely to be persuaded
