MP stays mum on Abbott rumours
Henderson won’t be drawn
CORANGAMITE MP Sarah Henderson has refused to be drawn on the future of Tony Abbott’s prime ministership as leadership rumours swirl.
Ms Henderson told the Geelong Advertiser yesterday she would not be distracted by conjecture and would rather focus on the needs of her electorate.
Mr Abbott is in New Zealand as clouds hover over his future.
Speculation is rife that there will be another move against his leadership when he returns to Canberra next week.
While he and his Treasurer Joe Hockey insist only voters have the right to remove the leadership team, the numbers are rumoured to be mounting against Mr Abbott
More MPs are claimed to have joined the 39 who supported an unsuccessful spill motion this month — but it is unclear whether the number has reached the 52 needed for a party-room majority.
Mr Abbott, on his first trans-Tasman visit as Prime Minister, is having security and trade talks with his counterpart John Key, to be rounded off with a visit to a World Cup cricket match between the two countries in Auckland today.
Liberal MPs remain concerned about poor polling, unfulfilled promises to scrap unpopular policies, the dumping of whip Philip Ruddock and Mr Abbott being distracted by a dispute with Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs. There is also continuing unrest over the control allegedly wielded by Mr Abbott’s chief of staff, Geelong-raised Peta Credlin.
But before the next party room meeting in Canberra on Tuesday, disgruntled MPs appear to have gone cold on another spill motion and are said instead favour a possible deputation to tap the PM on the shoulder.
Mr Abbott told reporters in Auckland he believed he had the full confidence of his colleagues and would lead the party to the 2016 election.
“Obviously I am the subject of the party room and I’m the subject of the electorate,” he said. “And I’m looking forward to continuing to have the confidence of both.”
Potential contender Julie Bishop, who is also in NZ, refused to be drawn on media conjecture.
“These are hypothetical questions and this is all based on speculation and rumour,” she said.
Asked by a reporter whether she wanted to be leader, Ms Bishop said: “The role of prime minister of Australia is occupied by Prime Minister Abbott.”
Former Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull told reporters he would not fuel speculation.
Asked if Mr Abbott’s pos- ition was untenable and he should resign, he said: “Of course not.”
Mr Turnbull was also asked if he was calling his colleagues for support. “I talk to my colleagues all the time. I have not been speaking to people overnight,” he said.
Treasurer Joe Hockey, who is widely expected to lose his role if there is a leadership change, said he would remain Treasurer for “as long as the Australian people believe I should be in the job”.
Hitting out at “the gossip mongers” in Canberra, he said: “It’s the Australian people who have the right to remove the prime minister, not anyone else.”
Frontbencher Scott Morrison said he hoped Mr Abbott would lead the party to the election, having brought a “breath of fresh air” to backbench concerns in recent weeks.
“It is a matter for colleagues,” he said.
“I think anyone who pretends differently is kidding themselves.”
One MP claimed yesterday he had heard an alternative budget was being drafted should Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey be dumped.
Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said some MPs remained aggrieved and were continuing to make their views known.
“There are a number of my colleagues who would like to see a leadership change but that doesn’t mean there’s a majority,” he said.
“It shouldn’t be on and I don’t think it will be on.”