But Education Minister Christopher Pyne said Ms Bishop felt her loyalty should be "unquestioned" because she has always been loyal to Mr Abbott. Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop runs to Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday. Credit:Andrew Meares "Well Julie has been the deputy since 2007 and I think she was insulted a little, offended a bit about the idea that she wasn't totally loyal to Tony Abbott," Mr Pyne told Nine's Today show. "I think she felt that she didn't need to prove her loyalty, I can understand that." Ms Bishop's apparent anger echoes that of Julia Gillard, who as deputy Labor leader decided to challenge Kevin Rudd in 2010 after a report emerged that revealed he questioned her loyalty.

Ms Bishop, the Foreign Minister, told her cabinet colleagues she is not campaigning for the leadership or phoning backbenchers for support. Under pressure: Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Ms Bishop has reserved her right to contest if there is a spill and all positions, including hers, are declared open but has privately told colleagues who complain about Mr Abbott that she has no intention of being "Lady Macbeth" and to take their problems directly to the Prime Minister's office so they can be resolved. A group of cabinet ministers rallied around the Prime Minister on Wednesday morning, describing agitation for a leadership ballot as coming from a small group of "valued colleagues". Malcolm Turnbull drives himself to Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday morning. Credit:Andrew Meares

The latest round of destabilisation was triggered by Liberal backbencher Dennis Jensen, who in a wave of media appearances on Tuesday night declared he no longer supports Mr Abbott and doubts he can salvage the Coalition's electoral prospects. Various media outlets are reporting up to 30 MPs are ready to vote against Mr Abbott but Treasurer Joe Hockey called on them to reveal their identities if they are genuine. Social Services Minister Scott Morrison arrives at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "If there's dozens, come out, otherwise our job is to focus on what's best for the Australian people," he told reporters at Parliament House. Mr Hockey said the suggestion that the Prime Minister should lose his job as a result of his Captain's call to knight Prince Philip was "absurd".

"You don't try to bring down a PM because of a knighthood for Prince Phillip. Even as a republican I think that is absolutely absurd," Mr Hockey said. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said with "no alternative candidate" the Prime Minister enjoyed the support of the party room and batted away questions about whether or not Mr Abbott would agree to any request for a ballot. "You're getting way ahead of yourself, that is not the position we're in," he said. Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce blamed recent political turmoil on "a full moon". "The uncertainty that's happened in the Northern Territory, we've got the uncertainty that's happened in Queensland, I don't know what I'm going to put it down to but I'm going to put it down to the full moon," he said.

"The last thing we want, the last thing Australians will accept, is chaos because they're better than that and we are better than that and the reality is the cabinet is as one. Loading "If you mimic the Labor Party you will get the outcome of the Labor Party." Follow us on Twitter