Australia gov’t braces for defeat in vital by-election marked by Jerusalem offer

Loss will leave PM without parliamentary majority; he floated idea of moving embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in apparent attempt to woo Jewish voters

Newly elected leader of the Liberal Party, Scott Morrison addresses media at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Aug. 24, 2018 (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)
Newly elected leader of the Liberal Party, Scott Morrison addresses media at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Aug. 24, 2018 (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)

Australia’s embattled conservative coalition was bracing for defeat as polls opened in a crucial by-election Saturday, with a loss set to snuff out its slim parliamentary majority.

The by-election in the wealthy Sydney seat of Wentworth was triggered after former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was ousted in a party-room coup in August — the sixth change of leader in the last decade.

Turnbull’s successor, Scott Morrison, is facing public anger about the leadership merry-go-round and constant infighting in Canberra, and could be made to pay at Wentworth, traditionally a Liberal Party seat.

The Liberal-National coalition has a one-seat parliamentary majority, and a loss in Wentworth would transform it into a minority government and effectively turn Morrison into a lame duck prime minister.

The sprawling Sydney constituency takes in the famous Bondi Beach and the haunts of stars like Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman.

While the seat was easily held by Turnbull, polls before the by-election were pointing to defeat for the Liberal Party’s Dave Sharma at the expense of high-profile independent candidate Kerryn Phelps.

A defeat would prove hugely embarrassing to Morrison, who even floated the idea of moving the Australian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem — upending decades of Australian foreign policy — in a bid to woo Wentworth’s Jewish voters.

The Palestinian Authority delegation to Australia lambasted Morrison’s announcement as “deeply disturbing.” In a statement to the Guardian, the delegation warned Canberra that its standing in the Arab Muslim world would be damaged, and urged the government “to seriously consider the consequences of any such move.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Morrison’s announcement, saying in a statement on Tuesday that he was “very thankful” the prime minister was considering the policy change.

On Friday the Australian prime minister appeared resigned to a defeat.

“The events of a couple of months ago would have caused a great deal of anger and outrage here in Wentworth,” Morrison told reporters of Turnbull’s removal.

“I know, I was in the parliament.”

Counting will start after polls close on Saturday evening.

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