'ReTurnbull' trends among leadership speculation

Speculation over the Liberal leadership has pushed social media users into overdrive, sending the hashtag #returnbull trending nationwide.

Malcolm Turnbull

Communications minister Malcolm Turnbull leaves the chamber after the house of representatives' question time at Parliament House Canberra, Monday, June 2, 2014. (AAP)

The trend follows comments by frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull this morning, who dismissed comments made by conservative columnist Andrew Bolt in regards to his support for Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

“It borders on the demented to string together a dinner with Clive Palmer and my attending, as communications minister, the launch by a cross party group of friends of the ABC, and say that that amounts to some kind of threat or challenge to the prime minister,” Mr Turnbull said.

“…I just have to say to Mr. Bolt, he proclaims loudly that he is a friend of the government, well with friends like Bolt we don’t need any enemies.”

Social media users have since sent the hashtag trending nationwide on Twitter, while "Turnbull" also remained in the top 10 trends across Australia today.

Turnbull also remained among the top trending terms on Facebook.

A question by Labor frontbencher Jason Clare during Question Time also saw the term "frenemy" entered into the Hansard for the first time, when he quizzed Mr Abbott as to whether he trusted Mr Turnbull.


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By Stephanie Anderson


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