CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - The Latest on Australian politics (all times local):
11:50 p.m.
Australia’s former prime minister says he will resign from Parliament this week in a move that could cost the unpopular conservative government its single-seat majority.
Malcolm Turnbull told supporters that he will resign from Parliament on Friday, a week after he was forced from office by lawmakers in his conservative Liberal Party because he had lost their support.
That could set the stage for an Oct. 6 by-election. Prime Minister Scott Morrison could also call general elections, although he has said he plans to hold polls close to when an election is due in May.
Morrison visited the drought-stricken Outback on Monday in a demonstration that he has turned his focus away from his government’s internal drama to the problems of the nation.
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3:30 p.m.
Australia’s new prime minister has visited the drought-stricken Outback as he turns his focus away from his government’s internal drama.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison selected drought assistance as a top priority along with national security and economic growth when he was chosen by lawmakers in his conservative Liberal Party on Friday.
His predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, became the fourth prime minister dumped by his or her own party since 2010 in response to poor opinion polling.
Morrison flew Monday to rural western Queensland state, where crops are failing and ranchers are struggling to feed sheep and cattle after six years of drought. He has not yet announced any new initiatives to help farmers.
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