But a backer of Mr Abbott rejected the suggestion, declaring the recently ousted leader is "absolutely" committed to serve another term as a backbencher, having given up hope of a recall to the ministry under Mr Turnbull's leadership. Tony Abbott at the launch of his ninth campaign for the seat of Warringah. Critics complain Mr Abbott's campaign has repeated the problems of his "failed" government by becoming notable for pulling conservative supporters close while marginalising moderates. "Things are not well in Warringah," said one Liberal. "It reflects the way Tony deals with people: you're either with him or against him." Another said there was outright defiance over a decision to direct additional campaign resources to the marginal central coast campaign for Dobell rather than to the traditional outer-western Sydney seat of Lindsay, with a number of Warringah Liberals giving assistance to its MP Fiona Scott anyway. The first-term Ms Scott has been blackballed by Abbott supporters after being accused of switching her support to Mr Turnbull in last September's leadership change.

Multiple Liberal sources have confirmed the campaign in Warringah is struggling for momentum and that it is beset with suspicion, much of it focused on the role of Mr Abbott's handpicked campaign director and federal electorate conference president, Walter Villatora. Walter Villatora. Credit:Christopher Pearce ​Three meetings of the campaign committee have been dominated by discussion over the introduction of plebiscites to preselect candidates - a favourite cause of conservative Liberals - rather than the nuts and bolts of the Warringah campaign, according to a source. He said: "We should be talking about who is taking the A-frames down to the local shops, when the next busload of volunteers are going up to Dobell and when Tony is doing a shopping centre walk, not about rank and file plebiscites." One senior figure said the campaign was merely "limping along", predicting Mr Abbott would win but suffer a bigger swing against him than the rest of New South Wales.

But having secured some 50,000 votes to the Labor candidate's 17,000 in 2013, there appears no danger of Mr Abbott being turfed. Another senior Liberal said: "Tony indulges Walter and it's pissing everyone off. People are trying to get on with the campaign but it's burning them out." ​Mr Villatora, who is regarded as a likely replacement in a byelection scenario, said party rules prohibited him from commenting. He was recently overlooked in the preselection race for the neighbouring seat of Mackellar. In the end, he received just nine votes against the 39 cast for Bronwyn Bishop and 40 for the eventual winner, Jason Falinski. Amid ongoing discontent, Mr Villatora was challenged as federal electorate council president at last month's AGM and only survived against the party's former national treasurer Phil Higginson 57 votes to 41 when Mr Abbott took the unusual step of formally endorsing him.

Lifetime Liberal Party members said they were "appalled" to find a how-to-vote flyer placed on each seat before the AGM, advising which candidate enjoyed the backing of "The Hon. Tony Abbott MP". Mr Higginson, who was backed by the moderate faction's David Begg and his wife Natalie Ward, attracted more than 40 per cent of the vote in the challenge which has been described as a "shot across the bow" and a "full-frontal assault" by the moderates on Mr Abbott. However, a conservative source said the only threat to the unity of the Warringah campaign had come from the "audacious bid" by Mr Higginson, backed by the Left faction's powerbroker Michael Photios, to roll Mr Villatora. Mr Abbott, who was campaigning at Curl Curl North Public School on Tuesday, declined to comment. Follow us on Twitter