Australia's center-right government united behind new Prime Minister Scott Morrison to fend off a de facto vote of no confidence Monday but his coalition still appeared likely to be heavily punished by voters at an election due by May.
Morrison's Liberal Party, the senior partner in a Liberal-National coalition, fractured in August when a backbench revolt forced then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull from office in a party-room vote, ushering in Australia's sixth leader in 10 years.
His first session of Parliament as leader was hostile but Morrison's government united to defeat a series of motions by the opposition Labor party to debate Turnbull's ousting that would have amounted to a confidence vote.
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