#ItsOn: What You Need To Know About The Latest #Spill

In case you don’t have Twitter, you might not yet know #ItsOn.

We’re talking about #LibSpill, which is kind of like #ALPSpill from a few years ago. (Does this make #Spill the most successful franchise in Australian entertainment history? There have certainly been more of them than Mad Max movies.)

It began earlier today when Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced he would challenge Tony Abbott for the Prime Ministership of Australia, ahead of an expected swing against the Liberal party in the upcoming election for the seat of Canning.

In doing so, he resigned his Cabinet position.

Soon after, Prime Minister Tony Abbott – on the 726th day of his leadership – told press he would welcome a party room ballot this very evening.

Spill. Ballot. Canning. #PutOutYourOnions. It’s all very difficult to keep up with. Here’s what you need to know about the new normal of Australia’s political process:

How can they just change a Prime Minister without an election?

Treasurer Joe Hockey spoke soon after Abbott’s announcement, saying, "The position of Prime Minister is a gift of you, the Australian people. You have the right to hire and only you have the right to fire."

Is he actually correct about our hiring/firing powers?

Not exactly.

In Australia, we follow the UK’s Westminster system. Through that democratic process, the people vote for local representatives to sit in parliament and, well, represent us. The leader of the political party with the most representatives to form a government becomes Prime Minister.

Therefore, at no point do we, the people, actually vote for the party’s leader (though, in practice, many elections are centered on the personalities and policies of the person who will likely become PM).

What is a spill anyway?

#SPILL! You’ve seen it screamed across your Facebook feed. But what does it actually mean?

Basically, a spill occurs when a political party declares that its leadership position is now vacant, and the party can vote on a new leader.

Tonight, Tony Abbott will declare that his role as leader of the Liberal party is now available. Both he and Turnbull will put themselves up for consideration and the party room will cast a secret ballot as to who should take on the role going forward.

A spill attempt against Prime Minister Abbott was previously thwarted in February of 2015.

The first Federal spill took place in 1971, though it wasn’t until 1991 – when the Labor's Paul Keating replaced Bob Hawke – that a sitting Prime Minister was replaced mid-term.

Most famously, Kevin Rudd was spilled out of office by Julia Gillard in 2010. Three years later, he spilled her right back.

If tonight marks the end of Tony Abbott’s Prime Ministership, will he be the shortest serving PM in history?

Not by a long shot. That “honour” goes to Frank Forde, who, for eight sweet days in 1945, was our 15th Prime Minister.

Though still a week or so away from his two-year Prime Ministerial anniversary, Tony Abbott, is, as of this writing, our 19th longest serving PM, out of 28.

Whether or not he can rise up this particular chart will be dictated in the Liberal party room tonight.