Pressure is building in the Liberal Party for another tilt at removing Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Both ministers and backbenchers have told the ABC they believe Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull now has the numbers to win a challenge and should use them.
Mr Abbott survived a move on his leadership earlier this month, when a motion to spill the position failed 39 votes to 61.
Cheatsheat: What crazy business is going down in Australian politics this week?
After that party room meeting, the Prime Minister declared that “good government starts today”.
However, there is now open despair in Coalition ranks, even among those who supported the Prime Minister in the leadership spill.
Liberals talk of little else and worry that there will be permanent brand damage if Mr Abbott stays.
As he left Parliament today, Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey was questioned about whether Mr Abbott would lead the Government to the next election.
“Who knows, I mean we are falling in behind Tony, we’ve had that day in the party room,” he said.
“Not everybody’s happy all the time but that’s life.”
Another backbencher, Russell Broadbent, reiterated that Mr Abbott had qualified support.
“He’s been given time, the time that he’s been given is – he’s on a test at all times – so every Prime Minister is,” he said, adding there was “no deadline”.
The post originally appeared on ABC and has been republished here with full permission.
Who would get your vote Tony Abbott or Malcolm Turnbull?
Top Comments
Heaven help Australia
If Labor get back in.
More unsubstantiated claims from mystery people collected by the ABC.
Yes it getting quite tiresome. While a spill technically differs from a leadership challenge. I doubt the numbers tip in Turnbulls favor to 33 percent margin. I do think though, whether or not the narrowing in the polls continues for the liberals these last few weeks. If Turnbull doesn't make his move soon, his time would have come and gone to capitalize on the instability.