Prime Minister Tony Abbott visiting a Sydney business on Monday. Credit:Chris Lane On Sunday he said he wanted a "stronger relationship" with the backbench, admitting he'd made a "terrible mistake" in focusing on security issues at the expense of his colleagues. "I wasn't as aware as I should have been of all of this. I never want to find myself in this position ever again," he told The Bolt Report on Sunday. One of the responsibilities of a party's whips is to keep the leadership in touch with backbenchers. Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop appeared to defend Mr Ruddock in an interview with Sky News, saying the Prime Minister has many ways of listening to the backbench.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been pressing the flesh. Credit:Chris Lane "The Prime Minister has many avenues open to him to engage with the backbench and the Whips is one means but there are many other ways for the prime minister to engage with the partyroom," the Foreign Minister said. But Queensland backbencher Andrew Laming said the timing of Mr Ruddock's sacking, four days after last Monday's ballot, left the "average viewer" with the impression that it was "more recrimination than renewal". "To suggest, oh everyone, oh look over there, we're just doing a little bit of updating, a little bit of housekeeping and a bit of dusting of the mantelpiece. It was far more than that and it wasn't done at the appropriate time, hence my belief that this looks to the average viewer more recrimination than renewal," he told Fairfax Media's Breaking Politics. Dr Laming said on Monday he was speaking on behalf of the entire Liberal party room in expressing "some dismay" around the "dreadful" timing of Mr Ruddock's dismissal, saying it was at the "heart of the shock". He said the Prime Minister could have used last December's reshuffle to reorganise the party's Whips instead of waiting until after last week's failed leadership spill.

"At all times I guess the leader is looking at renewal, we've just had a series of changes to the ministry but the timing last week was really unfortunate because it was the last thing needed after the events of Monday," he said. Former immigration minister Scott Morrison on Monday lauded Mr Ruddock as the "greatest immigration minister we've ever had". "I know that he took on that job as chief whip at the request of the PM. I don't think he was hanging around in Parliament for 40 years to become the chief whip," he said. "He's a very loyal, very trusted and very respected colleague," Mr Morrison told the ABC. It comes as details emerge about a fiery meeting involving backbench MPs in marginal seats and the federal Liberal party director Brian Loughnane.

Mr Loughnane regularly catches up with marginal MPs to brief them on how the government is travelling in the electorate and to update them on voters' concerns. The economy and national security were said to be two issues specified. Deputy director Julian Sheezel also attended the meeting. One Liberal who attended the meeting says western Sydney MP Craig Laundy began "yelling" urging Mr Loughnane to start asking the backbench about the mood on the ground instead of telling them from up high that the situation is fine. Three other MPs: Matt Williams, Fiona Scott and Brett Whiteley were said to have joined in on the heated exchange. Ms Scott is said to have raised the issue of pre-Christmas cuts to community groups that aid the vulnerable. Mr Loughnane is said to have remained calm and promised to convey their concerns to the Prime Minister. Loading