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Australia leadership: Liberals meet to decide Abbott fate Australian PM Abbott survives leadership challenge
(35 minutes later)
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is facing a party confidence vote on his leadership, amid concerns at his slumping popularity. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has survived a party confidence vote on his leadership.
Liberal Party MPs are meeting for a secret ballot on whether to open up his position to challengers. Liberal Party MPs voted by 61 to 39 not to open up his position to challengers.
The motion needs a simple majority to carry, but it is not clear which side has the numbers. The leadership test, initiated by a backbencher on Friday, came after a series of policy mis-steps by Mr Abbott that saw his popularity tumble.
The challenge comes after a series of policy mis-steps by Mr Abbott that have left him looking vulnerable. Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull had been seen as a likely challenger if the vote passed but in the end the party rallied round the PM.
So far, no-one has stepped up as a challenger for the leadership. The result of the vote, brought forward from Tuesday, was announced by Chief Whip Philip Ruddock.
But if Mr Abbott loses the confidence vote, many expect Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to put himself forward as a rival for the top job. "The Liberal Party has met, we have had a ballot, it was properly conducted. The result is very clear. No 61. Yes 39," he said.
Mr Abbott had pledged to fight any challenge, saying his Liberal Party was "not going to repeat the chaos and the instability" of the opposition Labor party, which lost office in 2013 after a series of leadership crises.
He has faced criticism in recent weeks for giving an Australian knighthood Queen Elizabeth's husband Prince Philip.
His party also suffered a comprehensive defeat in Queensland state elections, which many attributed to dissatisfaction with the prime minister.
And on Monday morning, a poll published in The Australian newspaper put satisfaction with his performance down at 24%, his lowest figure in five years.
The poll also showed the ruling Liberal-National coalition behind Labor by 43% to 57%.