Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told reporters that Bridget Archer still has support despite the Tasmanian MP crossing the floor to support protections for LGBTIQ students, and her vocal support for a federal integrity commission.

While an election hasn’t been called yet, the Prime Minister has been out on the hustings visiting key electorates over recent days. Archer’s electorate of Bass in northern Tasmania is held by the Liberals with a sliver of a margin. Archer won the seat at the 2019 election by just 563 votes.

Speaking in Launceston this morning the Prime Minister was asked if he still backed Archer.

“Of course,” the Prime Minister said, “There is a difference between the Liberal and Labor Party … but in our party, we don’t throw people out because we don’t always agree on everything,” Morrison said.

“That’s the nature of the Liberal Party, it’s called Liberal for a reason.”

When an election is called Archer will face a challenge from the seat’s former member Labor’s Ross Hart who held the seat during the previous parliament. Since the 90s the marginal seat has often volleyed between the two major parties with no side of politics able to hold it for more than two consecutive terms.

Archer and several of her colleagues who raised concerns about the Prime Minister’s signature Religious Discrimination Bill have been criticised by colleagues and conservative commentators for crossing the floor.

The Australian Financial Review has published a detailed blow by blow account of what went down behind the scenes during parliaments all -night session to pass the Religious Discrimination Bill.

OIP Staff

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