marketifo, the polls are a barometer and although both sides of politic shrug them off in public in private they know it gives them an indication of there chances at the polls.
Once we have the WA senate election we get an idea of the make up of the senate, if it works out that the senate make up will continue to be hostile Abbott will be faced with the prospect of dropping legislation or going for a DD. The current polls indicate he would lose so it would be doubtful he would take the risk.
Logic would have it a political party will avoid gong into an election knowing they can't win, Lib's would have won the last election by an even bigger margin had Turnbull been the leader but the polls showed they could win with Abbott so leadership issues was put aside.
