Turnbull wants Liberal social media army

Malcolm Turnbull wants Liberals to use their social media to counter Labor's "lies" ahead of the next federal election.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

The Turnbull government has lost the 34th consecutive Newspoll. Source: AAP

Malcolm Turnbull wants an army of Liberals on social media to counter any Labor attempt to repeat its 2016 "Mediscare" campaign.

The prime minister told the Liberal federal council the party must rebut Labor every time it spreads "lies" about government policies.

"It's very important for all of us here and every party member and supporter to use all of the social media at your disposal," Mr Turnbull told the party faithful in Sydney on Saturday.

"You may only have a few hundred people that are following you or that you can reach, it doesn't matter.

"We now treat every Labor lie, every single one, no matter how absurd, as something that has to be categorically rebutted every single time."

In 2016 Labor sent text messages that looked like they came from Medicare, telling voters the government planned to sell it off.

The coalition will attack Bill Shorten on border protection and taxation in the next election campaign, while talking up its own economic record.

Former prime minister John Howard said polls showed Labor wasn't in the strong position that oppositions had in 1996, 2007 and 2013.

"On each of those occasions the primary vote of the winning party was in the middle 40s for a consistent period of six or 12 months before the election," Mr Howard set on Saturday.

"The Labor primary vote has been stuck below 40 per cent for a very long time.

"That is a salutary reminder, although there may be irritation and disappointment with us, there is no enthusiasm for the replacement."

Party president Nick Greiner used a speech on Friday to tell Liberals to lock in behind Mr Turnbull instead of infighting.

"We've occasionally been a bit lazy and self-indulgent when we give our own internal tiffs, our internal arguments, priority over the wellbeing of our party overall," Mr Greiner told the council on Friday.

Party members voted for a motion calling for the ABC to be privatised, although Treasurer Scott Morrison said there are no plans to sell the national broadcaster.

A small majority of members voted for Australia to move its Israel embassy to Jerusalem, but Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said it won't happen.

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman told the room full of Liberal powerbrokers he would not accept any cut in GST share.

"Tasmania deserves its fair share of the GST, and we will fight any government from anywhere who threatens that," Mr Hodgman said.

The party members also heard of the need to recruit more members and improve fundraising, as the Liberals lagged behind Labor in terms of spending.


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Source: AAP


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Turnbull wants Liberal social media army | SBS News