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Malcolm Turnbull
@TurnbullMalcolm
29th Prime Minister of Australia - 2015 -2018. Retweets not necessarily an endorsement. malcolmturnbull.com.au
Sydney, NSW, Australiamalcolmturnbull.com.auJoined October 2008

Malcolm Turnbull’s Tweets

Congratulations as you are sworn in as Australia’s 31st PM. It is a great honour and responsibility to lead our nation and you will do so in uncertain times. You are a good man and in the toughest times character is what counts. Lucy and I wish you all the very best.
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Today’s mob violence at the Capitol is the culmination of Trump’s sustained assault on American democracy. The President should call on the mob he incited to disperse and go home. And Trump’s supporters in the GOP and the media should reflect on what they have enabled.
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We are witnessing one of the darkest days in American history. The President must immediately condemn the attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol and deploy the National Guard to keep Members of Congress safe and allow a peaceful transition of power.
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The victory of today is of the utmost importance not just for France but for the world. Right wing authoritarian populists, often backed by and backing Putin, are democracy’s greatest threat. Macron has seen them off today, but they will be back.
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Today we have lost Australia’s finest Foreign Minister I thank Julie for her loyalty and friendship over many years but especially as my Deputy. She has been and remains an inspiring role model for women here and around the world.
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We should be very concerned that a PM, an AG, the GG and apparently their officials thought Morrison’s sinister secret state appointments were legitimate. Did anyone object? Resign jn protest? All showed a grave lack of respect for and understanding of democratic governance.
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Like hundreds of thousands of other Australians I have tested positive for covid. Symptoms moderate so far. Isolating as required. This pandemic and especially this latest wave has put our health professionals under enormous pressure - please be polite and considerate ….
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Farewell Bob Hawke a great Australian, Labor leader and reforming Prime Minister. Australia is a better place because of him. Lucy and I send our love and condolences to Blanche and all of his family.
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At the risk of offering a penetrating glimpse of the obvious…an obligation to disclose gifts to MPs plainly requires the identify of the donor. Saying “I received a gift of an undisclosed sum from a secret donor.” is not a disclosure and suggesting it could be is gaslighting.
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At the heart of the Liberal Party's defeat in the Victorian election on Saturday is the paradox that in this, the most small "l" liberal state in Australia, the Liberal Party has been taken over by the hard right and is therefore at odds with the electorate whose support it seeks
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We need to recognise a hotter and drier climate means more fires. Our continued high level of CO2 émissions has changed our climate for the worse. We have to reduce emissions urgently but we also need to put more resources into the fire fight. Business as usual is not an option.
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The inquiry into the #SecretMinistries scandal must go beyond Morrison. Understanding, as I do, how PMO, PMC and the GG office are meant to work I remain astonished that there was apparently no pushback to Morrison when he embarked on his bizarre secret accumulation of power.
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Can we return to reality pls. ‘s call to the Pfizer chairman obviously helped - certainly did no harm. As to claims the acceleration (not increase) of deliveries was entirely resolved locally without any input or influence from the head office…well pull the other leg.
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jeez Peter - just tell the truth. Victoria is a small l liberal state and the Liberal Party egged on by the Murdoch media has moved further and further to the right. The last time the Liberal Party went ahead in Victoria was 2016 when Julia Banks won Chisholm #InsidersABC
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…when dealing with the front line health workers. Whatever failures there have been in planning and preparation are NOT their fault. They have had two years of relentless pressure and it’s now at its most intense. So give them the love and respect they deserve, please.
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We have lost one of our best Premiers today. Gladys has been a dedicated reformer and dynamic builder. She led the State bravely and tirelessly through the bushfires and the pandemic. Thank you Gladys.
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It was Mark Twain who said “Only fiction has to be credible.” But the satirists outdid Orwell with their editorial today headed “Turnbull moderates blow up a centrist government” A centrist government was blown up; in August and it wasn’t done by moderates.
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The point I have made to and other colleagues is that given the uncertainty around Peter Dutton’s eligibility, acknowledged by the Solicitor General, he should be referred to the High Court, as Barnaby was, to clarify the matter.
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Sure, comparing Covid virus to Cook’s arrival was a contentious long bow drawn by @annaliesevd BUT have people really so lost their minds (& respect for free speech) as to demand the resignation of Victoria’s very capable deputy CMO in the middle of a pandemic?
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And apparently not one climate scientist could be found to go on the show. So Canavan’s nonsense goes unrebutted by anyone with real expertise in the science - Shameful #qanda
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Thanks for nothing #qanda. After a week when so many rational people are white hot angry with the Morrison-Barnaby response to the ICCP ‘code red’ you lead with Canavan, the latest overexposed Coalition backbench climate change denier.
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A lot of tweets to me about public professions of religious devotion. IMHO virtuous actions (not words) are what matter - remember the Pharisees. Or in a more rural context, wise old saying: “when your neighbour starts quoting the bible, start counting your cattle.”
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The frenzied "debate" about the Voice is only serving to confuse everybody. In practical terms the Voice will be able to express its opinion on just about any public policy issue, because every one of them, one way or the other, impacts on indigenous Australians. So yes the Voice… Show more
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Those who argue parcels business should be privatised overlook the fact that this would mean the letters business & post office network would need to be subsidised out of the budget - a classic case of privatising the profits &leaving the losses to the taxpayer.
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Japan has lost its most important modern leader, Akie her dear husband and Australia a great friend. Struck down by an assassin, Abe Shinzo’s powerful positive impact on his country and our region will endure. Lucy and I send Akie and the Japanese people our deepest sympathy.
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Kevin has done well to get this petition going. I doubt it will result in a Royal Commission and Murdoch’s print monopoly (since 1987) is only part of the problem. But I have signed it and encourage others to do so.
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Australians have watched with growing anger at what the Murdoch media monopoly is doing to our country. A cancer on democracy. Today I am launching a national petition to establish a #MurdochRoyalCommission. If you value our democracy, please sign here: aph.gov.au/petition_list?
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Facts matter, or they should. It is regularly being stated that on becoming PM I scrapped a deal with Japan to build submarines. This is being put about by Phil Coorey of the AFR, Alexander Downer and others. It is utterly false, and they should know it.
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Those who defend fossil fuels in the name of jobs today are denying their communities jobs in the future. The transition from coal,gas & coal to sun/wind + storage + H is inexorable. Those nations which embrace the transition will secure leading industries & jobs of the future.
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Just had my second jab of #AZ - thank you to our local GP and their great team. Encourage everyone to get vaccinated ASAP. And pls don’t take your stress out on your doctor or their nurses and receptionists. They are in the front line, keeping us safe.
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#ChristineHolgate has been abused and bullied out of her job by the PM. No amount of gaslighting can obscure this. We all saw it on the floor of the House of Representatives. It was brutal and misogynistic as he revelled in humiliating someone he should have defended. 1/6
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Poor Phil, so determined to argue that my comments are “irrelevant” he devotes a whole column to say so. How about engaging with the substance instead of snark? Time not just to hold the hose, but to play (not drop) the ball.
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Well said Frank. Jones should also apologise to for his latest misogynistic rant. When I announced Australia’s Pacific Step Up in 2016 climate action was a key priority. It may be political to some, but it’s existential in the Pacific.
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Easy to tell someone to shove a sock down a throat when you’re sitting in the comfort of a studio. The people of the Pacific, forced to abandon their homes due to climate change, don’t have that luxury. Try saying it to a Tuvaluan child pleading for help. theguardian.com/media/2019/aug
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Shocked and very sad to learn of Simon Crean’s death. His life, cut short too soon, was filled with achievement for his members, his party and his country. Post politics he was very active on the trade front as in Paris in 2022 where we were independently trying to revive the… Show more
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Congratulations on a great innings as PM of New Zealand. Your compassion and leadership have inspired all of us and you have always been a great ( although not an entirely uncritical😉) friend of Australia. 🙏🙏🙏
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Can we please get a grip? Biden’s cancellation of the visit to Australia is not a “snub” or a “gift to China” - this is hyperventilation on steroids. His first duty is to do and be seen to do everything he can to ensure the US Govt can pay its bills. #Allpoliticsislocal.
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Thank you for your service to our nation and our Party and, above all, your friendship over so many years. You have been our finest Foreign Minister - eloquent, elegant and always courageous advancing our national interest in these challenging times.
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And a big hug for Ken from me too. He is a wise history making leader and now with a referendum to win. We will be voting YES with millions of Australians.
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This would not have been an easy decision for ⁦@KenWyattAM⁩ to make. He must be heartbroken. Big hugs 🤗 Ken Wyatt resigns from Liberal Party over Dutton's ... | NIT nit.com.au/06-04-2023/552
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Given that all the media companies’ financial deals with Google have been the consequence of the Government’s media bargaining code, the public are entitled to know precisely how much is being paid. Look forward to full disclosure.
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Most have excoriated secret ministerial appointments but said they were “legal”. Is that right? The appointments were made so Morrison could exercise the powers of the ministers secretly shadowed by him - as he did with the decision on the gas lease.
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Every hour somebody disagrees or contradicts another in public life. But why is it standard journalistic practise to describe almost any contradiction as a “slap down” which denotes a violent & humiliating blow. Why characterise normal discourse in violent, or abusive terms?
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“We say emissions are going down and they are going up. We say investment in renewables is higher than ever but it's falling because of the policy mess we have created," one Liberal MP said. “It is little wonder we have no credibility on this issue."
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Attribution bias - blaming others for the consequences of your own actions is a common symptom of paranoia. Imagining “invisible” people are out to get you is also a classic symptom. Not often on the front page of course...
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At the risk of repeating myself…nuclear energy is NOT the answer to the variability of renewable generation from wind and solar. You make renewables into 24/7 power with storage (pumped hydro, batteries) or in extremis with green hydrogen which can be used to power a gas peaker
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So my previous tweet - a simple statement of fact has been described in the media as “lashing out” (the Oz) or as a “public rebuke” (SMH). Neither characterisation is reasonable, but is objective reporting unadorned by sensationalism a thing of the past?
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Can a person exercise the statutory powers of a Minister under a statute if their appointment to that ministry is secret? Doesn’t our fundamental democratic values mean that in order for a person to exercise the power of “the Minister” they must be publicly declared as such?
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Kevin that’s nothing. There is a Dangerous Warmist Green-Left move to rename Qld’s greatest culinary invention - the lamington- because of its connection with Andrew Laming.
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Murdoch's NewsCorp was so eager to get to stuck into the next "cancel culture" outrage, they were duped into believing a crusade was on foot against our "beloved" fairy bread! Man the barricades!! #MurdochRoyalCommission
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I have just been provided with a request for a meeting of the Parliamentary Liberal Party. It has 43 signatures. As soon as they are verified by the Whips, which should not take long, the meeting will be called.
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Farewell Prince Philip - always charming to this republican. But never more so than at Malta 2015 when he relived his young life with his young wife not yet a Queen. He spoke of love, adventure, eyes sparkling, he banished time. And we could see how he won Elizabeth’s heart.
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It’s a big call, lots of competition, but the public bullying of Christine Holgate is one of the worst episodes of brutish misogyny I have seen in politics. The PM should apologise, Australia Post should do the same and Holgate should be reinstated.
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If Christine Holgate was “a very good chief executive” of Australia Post as chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo contends, why is she no longer CEO? Fix this please Mr Chairman. It looks like you and your board buckled to irrational prime ministerial pressure over those Cartier watches.
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Congratulations and thanks to for his service as WA Premier. While we were from different parties (and occasionally exchanged the ritual gratuitous advice) Mark never took a backward step in defending WA but at the same time worked constructively with us in the… Show more
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Congratulations to Victorians - a long haul (and a contentious one) but your endurance has been repaid today with relief from lockdown and one of the only times a 0-0 result is welcome. 👏👏👏
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Very good discussion including from & on how Jones’ violent abuse of women enables violence against women. Not all disrespect of women leads to violence against women but that’s where all all violence against women begins.
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Advertisers have begun pulling their ads from 2GB today as the backlash reaches fever pitch over Alan Jones’ comments yesterday about “shoving a sock down” Jacinda Ardern’s throat. #TheProjectTV
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Strongly recommend the documentary “All In” about the history and current practice of voter suppression in the US. Australians should be v proud we have compulsory voting and an independent electoral commission.
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Entirely agree. How remarkable is it that in the UK, the home of Edmund Burke, Thatcher and Churchill, there is consensus on the reality of global warming and the need to act. A reminder that there is nothing “conservative” about climate denialism.
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🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Great move. Great leadership. Earth 'at a tipping point': Royal family launches climate crusade smh.com.au/world/europe/e
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And, as the regular Liberal voters shrink in numbers, the need to reach beyond the "base" (however defined) to the centre is greater than ever. The angertainment media can monetise narrow audiences with divisive hate filled bile - but it is too narrow for electoral success
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“..if we love freedom, if we prefer democracy to tyranny, we will have to defend it. We have repair it when it is found wanting, we will have to make it work when it is dysfunctional, and we will have to call out those who are seeking to undermine it.” t.ly/DJP8
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It’s pretty obvious really but following someone on Instagram or Twitter does not imply support approval or endorsement - simply that you are for whatever reason currently interested in seeing the followed person’s posts in your feed. 1/2
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Just saw describe the cancelled Attack Class submarine program as having been “over budget”. This is false - As Greg Moriarty defence Dept secretary confirmed in Senate Estimate. As the ABC celebrates its 90th anniversary such sloppy reporting is very disappointing
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Great discussion today on security and trade. Australia/US trade is fair & reciprocal & each of our nations has no closer ally. Thank you for confirming new tariffs won’t have to be imposed on Australian steel & aluminium - good for jobs in Australia and in US!
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Spoke to PM @TurnbullMalcolm of Australia. He is committed to having a very fair and reciprocal military and trade relationship. Working very quickly on a security agreement so we don’t have to impose steel or aluminum tariffs on our ally, the great nation of Australia!
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A brilliant 730 tonight. A tough forensic examination of the covid testing debacle followed by a really uplifting story on the Yazidi refugees settled in Armidale. 🙏
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For months, the Prime Minister promised us we would be able to have a normal Christmas — but despite an enviable vaccination rate, it hasn't worked out that way, as thousands of Australians have started the New Year in isolation. #abc730
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How did all these experienced people allow Morrison to do this. If any of them had dug their heels in, pushed back, and done so in writing it is hard to believe even the self described bulldozer would have persisted. If they did not push back then they, and the system, failed.
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Day after day most of our media, social & mainstream, treat the climate issue as a political game. BS is not called when it should be. Lies & dissembling are repeated and, more often than not, applauded for their plausibility instead of being checked against the facts.
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