Liberal MPs are are saying Abbotts days are numbered.
this is from the Liberal party gazette, otherwise known as the TELE, sooooooo funny, see ya phony.
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Opposition Leader Tony Abbott / Pic: Colin Murty Source: The Daily Telegraph
POLLS showing Tony Abbott has slumped to a record low in popularity have sent shockwaves through the Coalition party room, with several Liberal MPs privately warning his days could be numbered if the trend continues.
Supporters of former prime minister Kevin Rudd have also conceded his hopes of challenging again for the leadership would all but vanish over the next month if the polls remained buoyant for Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
However, they also pointed to secondary polling questions which showed that if Mr Rudd was re-installed as leader, Labor could win an election if held now.
Several Liberal MPs yesterday expressed alarm at a Newspoll conducted over the weekend which showed the Coalition's primary vote crashing and Mr Abbott's standing in the community reaching new lows, while the PM's standing improved.
"We have got a challenging period ahead of us. I'm not saying there would be a leadership challenge on the back of this, but if it continues there will be a lot of nervous people," a senior Liberal MP said.
Gillard's popularity bounces back
Coalition insiders said the NSW and Queensland coalition premiers' savage cuts to public services was having an impact on the federal brand.
Publicly, however, the Coalition frontbench rejected suggestions Mr Abbott's leadership was under pressure and blamed the government for a smear campaign against the Opposition Leader.
"They want to destroy his character."
The weekend poll registered a remarkable turnaround in just two weeks, to a position from where Labor would have lost up to 30 seats to one where it was level pegged on a two party preferred vote of 50/50.
Labor MPs were divided over what the results meant for Ms Gillard's leadership. Some conceded that Mr Rudd's hopes of a return would turn to dust if Ms Gillard could maintain momentum until Christmas.
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