The Turnbull government's go-to man has finally got the ultimate job - running the country, if only for a couple of days.
Mathias Cormann will be acting prime minister for the first time from Wednesday afternoon after Malcolm Turnbull leaves Australian for the US and talks with President Donald Trump.
Senator Cormann is stepping into the hot-seat after Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce took personal leave after his extramarital affair and Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop had to be bypassed because she's overseas.
The senior Liberal is also finance minister, special minister of state and leader of the government in the upper house.
Asked if he could get used to being addressed as acting prime minister, the West Australian senator said: "I could get used to it."
"Look, I mean, it is really just business as usual. The prime minister remains the prime minister," he told Nine Network on Wednesday.
"I will give it my best shot."
Australian Associated Press
