Mediaboss Marketing

Updated July 11, 2017 08:42:00

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has taken a shot at critics on the right of his party, saying the Liberals' founder Robert Menzies never intended his party to be conservative.

The comments were part of a speech delivered in London overnight where Mr Turnbull was receiving the Disraeli Prize awarded by UK think tank Policy Exchange.

In his speech, the Prime Minister made the case that his party's longest serving leader Sir Robert Menzies wanted to create a progressive party not a conservative one.

"In 1944 Menzies went to great pains not to call his new political party, consolidating the centre right of Australian politics, conservative, but rather the Liberal Party, which he firmly anchored in the centre of Australian politics," he said.

"He wanted to stand apart from the big money, business establishment politics of traditional conservative parties of the right, as well as from the socialist tradition of the Australian Labour Party, the political wing of the union movement.

"Menzies said at the time: 'We took the name 'Liberal' because we were determined to be a progressive party, willing to make experiments, in no sense reactionary but believing in the individual, his right and his enterprise, and rejecting the socialist panacea'."

"The sensible centre was the place to be. It remains the place to be."

The comments will be read as a rebuke to those conservatives on the backbench, led by Tony Abbott, who have been openly critical of the direction that the Government has been heading in.

Earlier in the day the Prime Minister, along with British Prime Minister Theresa May made an emotional trip to Borough market where eight people, including two Australians, were killed during a terrorist attack last month.

"The three of us did our best not to burst into tears," he said.

Near Southwark Cathedral he spoke to two of the police who had tried to revive one of the Australian women who died during the attack.

"They are very brave men, very brave men and women," he said.

After meeting with Ms May to discuss trade and security, Mr Turnbull said Australia was ready to secure a free trade deal with a post-Brexit UK.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Turnbull said a new trade deal would happen "as soon as possible, if we move quickly", after Brexit.

Ms May said securing a free trade deal between the UK and Australia remained a priority of her Government.

"We've both made clear our intention to continue to deepen our trade and investment relationship as the UK leaves the EU," she said.

Ms May said the UK and Australia were "investors in each other's success" and their growing trade relationship was worth close to $18 billion.

Mr Turnbull also said he would not accept a nuclear-armed North Korea, and has been encouraging China to put economic pressure on Pyongyang.

"The Chinese, in practical terms, is the only country that has the ability to bring the North Korean regime to its senses without some form of military intervention," he said.

"They have the ability to impose huge economic pressure on North Korea."

Mr Turnbull will also meet with Queen Elizabeth II during his visit.

Topics: government-and-politics, turnbull-malcolm, federal-government, liberals, united-kingdom, australia

First posted July 11, 2017 06:32:35

See the article here:
Malcolm Turnbull hits back at right-wing Liberals, says party was never intended to be conservative - ABC Online