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 A member of Abbott's ruling conservative Liberal Party, Western
Australian MP Luke Simpkins, sent an email to colleagues to announce
he will seek a vote on the party's top two positions at a scheduled
party meeting in Canberra on Tuesday.
Abbott has faced a torrent of criticism in recent weeks over policy
decisions ranging from his handling of the economy to awarding an
Australian knighthood to Queen Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip.
No member of the government has so far indicated a direct challenge
to Abbott, although most media attention has focused on
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a former party leader
toppled by Abbott.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, deputy leader of Abbott's party, has
also been touted as a potential successor but Abbott said she would
stand with him.
 "I have spoken to Deputy Leader Julie Bishop and we will stand
together in urging the party room to defeat this particular motion
and in so doing ... to vote in favor of the stability and the team
that the people voted for at the election," Abbott said in a brief
televised statement.
Bishop issued a statement urging support for the incumbent
leadership team.
Opinion polls have consistently shown voters prefer Turnbull to lead
the party, but his support for environmental steps against carbon
has alienated some on the party's right.
"It's really for Turnbull to put his hand up and whether he has the
numbers," said University of Sydney political science professor
Peter Chen.
If Turnbull didn't stand, Chen said Abbott's government would likely
"trundle towards annihilation at the next election", which is due in
about 18 months.
ABBOTT "FRIENDLESS" - BOOKMAKERS
Financial markets were little moved by the leadership upheaval.
"Progress on the budget is going be tough whoever is leading, given
the Senate is so fragmented," said Kieran Davies, an economist at
Barclays. "In any case, government borrowing costs are being kept at
record lows by the global search for yields, and that's not going to
change."
Bookmakers, however, offered short odds on Turnbull claiming the
leadership, with Sportingbet having him at A$1.50 versus A$2.75 for
Abbott and A$3.75 for Bishop.
"There has been overwhelming support for Mr Turnbull and he has
attracted more than 80 percent of bets placed in this market since
Monday,” said Sportingbet's Andrew Brown.
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"Mr Abbott has been friendless and we’ve barely seen a cent for
him," he said.
Simpkins told Sky News he decided to call for the motion based on
feedback within his electorate, and not at the behest of other
senior party members.
"What people are saying to me is that there is a disconnect and that
they don't know what his plan for the future is," Simpkins told Sky
News. "They don't know what he wants to achieve, and sadly they're
no longer listening."
Turnbull, a former businessman, lawyer and journalist, lost the
leadership by a single vote in 2009.
Bishop is well regarded in the party for her performance as foreign
minister, particularly for leading Australia's case at the United
Nations following the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over
Ukraine last year.
Removing Abbott would need support from more than 51 of the 102
members of the federal Liberal party at the party-room vote.
In an attempt to assuage critics, Abbott has agreed to abandon some
of his most controversial and divisive plans in recent weeks,
including reviewing the goods and services tax and scrapping an
expensive paid parental leave program.
If Abbott is removed, he would be the third prime minister to lose
their job in a party-room mutiny since 2010 and Australia's sixth
prime minister in eight years.
(Additional reporting by Colin Packham and Byron Kaye; Editing by
Paul Tait)
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