Abbott will never convince some MPs he should stay, says Abbott supporter.

Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says Tony Abbott will never be able to convince some of his Liberal colleagues that he should remain in the top job.

The Prime Minister has just returned from a whirlwind trip to New Zealand which was largely overshadowed by a fresh round of leadership speculation.

Speaking on the ABC’s Insiders program this morning, Mr Frydenberg said he did not think the party should change leaders now, saying Mr Abbott deserved more time to turn the party’s fortunes around.

“There’s certainly going to be members of my own side who want to see a change in leader,” he said.

“But I don’t think anything the Prime Minister does will convince them that he should stay in the role.

“If he delivered the Gettysburg address, if he won a Nobel Prize, they’d still take the position that they want a change in leader.

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“My view is though, that that is a minority view”.

Mr Abbott survived a leadership spill motion 61 votes to 39 just over a fortnight ago but the Prime Minister’s party room critics are growing anxious about his ability to change.

Both frontbenchers and backbenchers have told the ABC they believe Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull now has the numbers to win a leadership challenge and should use them.

When asked by reporters this morning whether he would challenge Mr Abbott, Mr Turnbull said he did not want to “engage in a hypothetical discussion”.

Mr Turnbull deflected questions about the leadership issue, saying he was firmly focused on the New South Wales state election.

“Whatever questions people have about me, or Tony Abbott or Julie Bishop or Joe Hockey or Scott Morrison or anybody in the federal party, whatever federal issues they’ve got, the state election is not the time to be responding to them,” he said.

“The state election is about the state government, it’s not about Tony Abbott it’s about Mike Baird.

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“We have to have a laser-like focus on the return of the Baird Government.”

Mr Turnbull indicated he was concerned about the impact of federal issues on the state poll, urging voters not to take out their frustrations with the Abbott Government on Mr Baird.

“I stress, do not assume, nobody should assume, that Mike Baird is an absolute certainty to win, he is not,” he said.

“It’s going to be close and anyone who votes Labor in this state election as a protest against the feds should know that their vote may very well be the one that puts the Eddie Obeid party back into office.”

The last spill motion was driven by the backbench but this time, MPs are looking to the “Generals” to take action against Mr Abbott.

The party room is scheduled to meet on Tuesday and at this stage, there is no indication a spill motion will be moved.

This post was republished from the ABC with full permission.