Canberra, August 24: Scott Morrison, the former treasurer became  Australia's 30th Prime Minister following a leadership vote on Friday. Scott defeated former home affairs minister Peter Dutton by 45 votes, thus ending a week-long chaos in the capital. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier in the day said he has received a petition showing he has lost the majority support of his Liberal Party. This triggered a vote on electing a new leader, news agency AFP reported.

50-year old Morrison has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2007, representing the Division of Cook in New South Wales for the Liberal Party. With Morrison becoming the new Prime Minister, Australia got its sixth change of prime minister in 11 years today. Reports inform Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, another backer of Prime Minister Turnbull, was also in the running but was eliminated in the first round of voting.

According to a report by AP,  Turnbull has become the fourth prime minister to be dumped by his or her own party before serving a full three-year term since the revolving door to the prime minister's office started in 2010.

Morrison, an ally of deposed leader Malcolm Turnbull, won a party-room ballot 45-40. Morrison, who was a Treasurer, was on Friday picked as Australia's new prime minister after a Liberal party coup in a stunning upset against key challenger Peter Dutton.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2018 08:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).