Turnbull, Malcolm Bligh, 1954–, Australian political leader, b. Sidney. Educated at the Univ. of Sidney and, as a Rhodes scholar, at Oxford, he practised law and was a journalist and a successful businessman before turning to politics. A member of the Liberal party, Turnbull was chair of the Australian Republican Movement (1993–2000), He was first elected to the Australian house of representatives in 2004, and subsequently was parliamentary secretary (2006–7), minister for the environment and water resources (2007), leader of the opposition (2008–9), and minister for communications (2013–15). In 2015 he successfully challenged Prime Minister Tony Abbott for the party leadership and succeeded him as prime minister. His most notable accomplishment in office was probably winning passage of a same-sex marriage bill. In 2018 Turnbull himself faced a leadership challenge and ultimately was forced out as party leader and prime minister; he then resigned from parliament. Scott Morrison succeeded him as party leader and prime minister. He has written The Spycatcher Trial (1988), The Reluctant Republic (1993), and Fighting for the Republic (1999).
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