Liberal MPs need more than tepid climate signalling to overcome Joyce and Canavan’s coal cosplay | Katharine Murphy

The moderates are mobilising - and the prime minister's office knows it

At 7.31am on Tuesday morning, Scott Morrison's backbench liaison staffer sent out a WhatsApp blast to Liberal MPs asking them not to front the media without first checking with the prime minister's press office.

Obviously there is a lot happening. The prime minister was meant to fly straight to Washington, but has instead diverted to New York in an effort to quell the diplomatic storm from France and its European allies prompted by Australia's decision to terminate the Naval Group's $90bn submarine contract.