Scott Morrison sworn in as 30th PM of Australia

CANBERRA - Scott Morrison was sworn in on Friday as the 30th prime minister of Australia, after winning the ballot for leadership of the ruling Liberal Party.

He was sworn in at the government house in Canberra by the governor-general.

The short ceremony followed his first press conference in the afternoon, in which he promised to make drought relief priority.

He praised his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull, whom he said he had known for a long time and was a dear friend to him, for serving the country "in a noble and professional way."

"We will provide the stability and the unity and the direction and the purpose that the Australian people expect of us as leaders," he said.

Morrison defeated former Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton 45-40 in the ballot on the leadership of the governing Liberal Party to end the week-long chaos in the parliament. Foreign Affairs Minister and deputy leader Julie Bishop was eliminated in the first round of voting.

Josh Frydenberg, who served as Energy and Environment Minister under Turnbull, was elected as Morrison's deputy leader after defeating Health Minister Greg Hunt and Trade Minister Steven Ciobo in the ballot and will succeed Morrison as Treasurer.