Mr Morrison did not refute this.
“I talk to them all the time,” he said.
There is also speculation Mr Ciobo has been given a diplomatic posting.
While Moncrieff, if vacated, would stay in Coalition hands, another departure so close to the election will reflect dwindling expectations the Coalition can win. Mr Pyne’s seat of Sturt, held by 5.8 per cent, would be vulnerable if vacated.
Already this year cabinet ministers Kelly O’Dwyer and Nigel Scullion have announced their retirements at the election. Dutton backer Michael Keenan, who was demoted to the junior ministry after the spill, is also going.
Former deputy leader Julie Bishop confirmed her departure last week and the Liberal Party is still sweating on a decision by former minister Craig Laundy.
Mr Laundy, who was angry at the dumping of Malcolm Turnbull, may leave his marginal western Sydney seat of Reid, leaving that vulnerable to a Labor win.
Mr Ciobo will travel to Indonesia this weekend with Trade Minister Simon Birmingham to sign the free trade deal between the two nations. Mr Ciobo was minister when the deal was negotiated.
The development comes as the electoral appeal of former prime minister John Howard has come into question because of his support for convicted paedophile George Pell. Mr Howard has written a glowing reference for Mr Pell to aid in his appeal.
This, however, has raised questions about whether he will be now wanted on the campaign trails for both the NSW and federal elections. Mr Howard was touted as a “secret weapon” in NSW.
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese labelled Mr Howard’s character reference “very unfortunate”.
“It made no reference at all to what had occurred, and it also suggested that his view of George Pell had not been changed,” Mr Albanese told Channel Nine.
“It does show a lack of judgment.”
Mr Pyne was lukewarm in his defence of Mr Howard.
“I think John Howard wrote a character reference after the conviction of the cardinal for the sentencing, in terms of the sentence that Cardinal Pell might now receive,” Mr Pyne said.
“Whether it was a good idea is really a matter for them to answer, not for me to answer.”
Mr Pell is in jail after being found guilty in December of orally raping a 13-year-old boy and molesting another after Sunday mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne in 1996.
He has said he will appeal.
from Credence news https://ift.tt/2U9EpWU
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