Leadership is back in danger, page-154

Leadership challenge against PM Tony Abbott by Malcolm Turnbull ‘inevitable’, Liberal MPs say

September 12, 2015 10:00pm
SAMANTHA MAIDENThe Sunday Telegraph

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Malcolm Turnbull has rejected a call from Tony Abbott’s supporters to publicly rule out a leadership challenge.

Channel Nine today reported that Mr Turnbull received a message from Deputy Government Whip Andrew Nikolic on the prime minister’s behalf last Friday to make a public statement that he would not challenge Mr Abbott’s leadership.
Another senior minister close to Mr Abbott contacted Mr Turnbull with a similar request, according to Channel Nine.

But Mr Turnbull has remained tight-lipped about the speculations, saying his rule was to say “nothing”, as any comment would only give the issue oxygen.

However, the frontbenchers pushing for Mr Turnbull’s return to the leadership have declared a challenge inevitable as a new poll predicted the Prime Minister faces a savage 10 per cent swing in the Canning by-election.

As Liberal MPs prepare to return to Canberra, some ministers have even refused to rule out a revolt this week, before the WA by-election.

A senior Liberal MP said: “The Prime Minister’s future is done and dusted. Malcolm is the solution. The bottom line is it cannot go on.’’

Mr Abbott faces a swing of up to 10 per cent in the Canning by-election, according to a new Galaxy poll commissioned by The Sunday Telegraph.

It reveals that former SAS captain Andrew Hastie will retain the seat but with two-party support slashed to 52 per cent to Labor’s 48 per cent.

Primary support for the Liberal Party has slipped from 51.1 per cent at the 2013 federal election to 44 per cent in the latest Galaxy poll.

Primary support for Labor has increased from 26.6 per cent to 36 per cent.

The poll did have some good news for Mr Abbott, with Canning voters ranking him the better Prime Minister by 41 per cent to Bill Shorten’s 38 per cent, with a further 21 per cent uncommitted.

As the Prime Minister arrived to campaign in Perth last night, he defended Immigration Minister Peter Dutton over his “lame’’ joke captured by microphones about Cape York time that was described as “vulgar’’ and “soft bigotry’’ by indigenous leaders.
OPEN WARFARE ERUPTS AMID LEADERSHIP TENSION

PM TONY ABBOTT HAS BEEN FED TO THE LIONS
The Communications Minister has been traversing the country in recent weeks, posting pictures of his movements on social media in a not-so-subtle message he is ready for the top job.

In an olive branch to his enemies, Mr Turnbull will pledge not to open up old divisions by calling for an emissions trading scheme and stick to the existing climate change policy if elected leader.
PM Tony Abbott no longer has the support of some Liberal MPs, sources say. Picture: Gary Ramage
The wildcard is frontbencher Scott Morrison, who supports the PM, but has said that the leadership was a matter for the party room.

Mr Morrison was also forced to slap down a vicious smear campaign that he was to blame for reports that a South Australian frontbencher Jamie Briggs could be demoted from the ministry after the pair clashed.

It follows uproar in Abbott government ranks over the publication of a “hit list’’ of underperforming frontbench MPs.
The inclusion of Mr Briggs, the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure prompted claims that the recent cabinet clash with Mr Morrison was a factor.

Mr Morrison said the suggestion he was involved in anyway was “ridiculous’’ and Mr Briggs said the two had a “good relationship”.
Senior frontbenchers backing Mr Turnbull now claim that a leadership challenge is “inevitable’’ with the PM’s self-imposed, six-month deadline to improve the party’s fortunes expired.

“If Tony Abbott resigned on Monday, our vote would go up in Canning. Abbott asked for six months, he’s had that and on any measure we’ve gone backwards. Arguably, he should just declare the position vacant,’’ a Liberal frontbencher said.

But Liberals loyal to Mr Abbott claim to have caught out a senior frontbencher “boasting’’ that the destabilisation was about to begin with a “hit list’’ of ministers to be dumped by the PM that included closest backers Kevin Andrews and Eric Abetz.

The Galaxy poll did have some good news for Mr Abbott, with Canning voters ranking him the better prime minister by 41 per cent to Bill Shorten’s 38 per cent, with a further 21 per cent uncommitted.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...ership-challenge/story-fni0cx12-1227524449616