Via The Guardian:
The latest Guardian Essential poll has found nearly half of voters (43%) think Tony Abbott should resign from the parliament as the former prime minister continues to cause ongoing instability in the Coalition.
The survey, conducted online from 29 June to 3 July, found only 18% thought Abbott should stay in office and be given a place in the Turnbull ministry. A further 14% thought he should stay on the backbench and 24% didn’t know.
Among Coalition voters, the poll of 1,025 respondents found 35% thought Abbott should resign and leave parliament while 25% thought he should stay and be given a ministry. A further 19% thought Abbott should stay on the backbench and 22% didn’t know.
The polls showed Labor widened its lead over the Coalition 53% to 47% on a two party preferred basis, up from 52% to 48% recorded for the past four weeks. The primary votes remained largely unchanged, with the Liberals sitting on 35%, the National party on 3%, the Greens on 11%, Nick Xenophon on 3% and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation on 7%.
Looks like Tony’s strategy is working nicely. The Nats are joinig the self-destruction now:
Frustrated Nationals MPs have hit out at their Liberal colleagues as tensions simmer over the infighting disrupting the government, with one rural senator declaring he was “disgusted” by what was happening to the senior Coalition party.
As former prime minister Tony Abbott continued his attacks on the government and warned that the Liberal Party was “haemorrhaging members”, Malcolm Turnbull dug in yesterday, saying he intended to be Prime Minister “for a very long time”.
After more than a week of brawling between conservatives and moderates, triggered by leaked comments from Leader of the House Christopher Pyne, fed-up Nationals MPs yesterday called for peace and a focus on the “real” issues.
“I am pleased with the role the Nats are playing and I am frustrated that our significant achievements are being overshadowed,” Deputy Speaker Mark Coulton told The Australian.
NSW Nationals senator John Williams unleashed against the Liberals, saying he was “just sick of” the division that was “giving Bill Shorten a free ride to The Lodge”. “I am disgusted by what’s going on. We’re elected to run the country and do the best for the people in our country,’’ he said.
“I’ve had a gutful of this infighting in the Liberal Party.
Why say it public? Next week’s -15 Newspoll will be fun.
