Prime Minister Scott Morrison has cancelled an upcoming meeting with the states and territories, as he deals with a growing chorus of complaints about bullying and intimidation within the Liberal Party as well as a significant rethink of government policy.
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on October 4 in Adelaide was expected to cover issues such as funding for public hospitals and Catholic schools.
But the Morrison Government is still trying to establish its agenda following last month’s leadership spill.
A spokesman from Scott Morrison’s office said the planned October meeting would be merged with another COAG meeting later in the year.
“This is consistent with the usual approach of having two COAGs every year,” he said.
Mr Morrison called the premiers and chief ministers this afternoon to break the news.
In a statement, a spokesman for Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was disappointed the meeting was off.
“She wishes she had the opportunity to speak to the Prime Minister about a better deal for Queensland,” he said.
The last full COAG meeting was in February.
A thorn in the Government’s side has been a bitter funding dispute with the Catholic schools sector, with new Education Minister Dan Tehan given the unenviable task of trying to reach an agreement.
Some within the party have suggested he may have a better chance than his predecessor, Simon Birmingham, given his own education in the Catholic sector.
Catholic schools have raised concerns about a review of the funding formula, which looks at the income of parents when calculating how much money a school should receive.
The Morrison Government is also searching for a new energy policy, in the wake of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s centrepiece National Energy Guarantee being scrapped in the days leading up to his political demise.
The COAG meeting was also going to precede the Victorian state election, on November 24. The next meeting now will not happen until after that crucial poll. ABC News
