Tony Abbott keeps leadership of Liberal Party but some supporters fear he is doomed

Updated

Tony Abbott has told Liberal MPs the party room meeting was a "near death experience" and has promised changes to the way his Government operates.

The Prime Minister survived a crucial vote, with his party members voting 61-39 against opening up the top leadership positions to contenders.

One MP cast an informal vote, merely writing "PASS" on the ballot paper.

Several Liberal MPs told the ABC the Prime Minister looked "shocked" when he was shown the numbers. Others said he appeared "chastened".

In his post-spill speech to the 101 MPs, Mr Abbott asked them to have faith in him, telling them he wanted to fight the Labor Party, not the Liberal Party.

He also urged colleagues to say "nice things" about the Government when journalists called them.

In what one minister described as a "passionate" speech, the Prime Minister promised more consultation with the backbench on contentious policies like the GP co-payment.

But MPs said many of the promises sounded similar to what the Prime Minister outlined during his National Press Club speech last week.

The MPs and senators The World Today spoke to said they thought the Prime Minister had bought himself more time.

"He wanted more time, well he's got it," said one.

"If he stuffs up again, or things don't get better, then that will be it."

In his only public statements since the vote, Mr Abbott declared the Liberal leadership ructions were "behind us".

Mr Abbott made a presidential-style statement to camera, addressing the Australian people, and did not allow journalists into the media call.

"The Liberal Party has dealt with the spill motion and now this matter is behind us," he said.

"We are absolutely determined to work for you, the people who elected us.

"We want to end the disunity and the uncertainty which destroyed two Labor governments and give you the good government that you deserve.

"We think that when you elect a government, when you elect a prime minister, you deserve to keep that government and that prime minister until you have a chance to change your mind."

But even some of his most ardent supporters believe the split in the party has left him mortally wounded and predict he cannot survive the year.

Simpkins believes Abbott will lead Coalition to next election

The backbencher who moved today's spill motion has described the result as a "wake-up call" for the Prime Minister, but said he could not "imagine" initiating another move against Mr Abbott.

West Australian MP Luke Simpkins said he believed Mr Abbott would lead the Coalition to the next election.

"I would say that he has certainly been endorsed by the party room, so I would say that that will be exactly what will happen," he said.

Asked which policies needed to change, Mr Simpkins pointed to the contentious GP co-payment as "the big one" and said the measure was up for debate.

"That's a matter of consultation between the minister, the Government and the medical profession," he said.

Another critic, LNP backbencher Andrew Laming, has dumped plans to introduce a Private Member's Bill to scrap the knights and dames honours system in a show of support.

He said he was satisfied a "signal" had been sent to the Prime Minister.

"We're confident now he's going to make the right moves," he said.

There were 101 MPs in the room and one MP — Ross Vasta from the Brisbane-based seat of Bonner — was on paternity leave. One informal vote was recorded.

The party room voted by secret ballot, with Mr Abbott saying last night how frontbenchers voted was "entirely" up to them.

MPs gathered knowing the dire results of the first Newspoll of the year, showing the Coalition trailing Labor 43 per cent to 57 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

Malcolm Turnbull is by far the preferred leader against Mr Abbott, according to the poll, which has a 3 per cent margin of error.

ALP has learnt from the past: Shorten

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor had learnt its lesson after switching prime ministers twice in office.

"What we're seeing today in Canberra with the Liberal Party ripping itself apart can't happen anymore in the Labor Party, we've just changed our rules," he said.

Mr Shorten again called on the Government to dump key budget proposals.

"It is not the identity of the salesman that matters here, it is what they are selling," he said.

"What this Government needs to do if it's to regain the broken trust of the Australian people is drop its unfair budget — no GP tax, no $100,000 degrees, no cuts to pensions.

"The Government has broken the trust of the Australian people and changing leaders doesn't do anything to address that problem."

Topics: liberals, political-parties, government-and-politics, abbott-tony, turnbull-malcolm, bishop-julie, australia

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