Lieberals break ranks over hated Abbott

It's on! It's a backbench revolt! Three ministers have already withdrawn their support for Abbott and there's a "large group" ready to knife Abbott in a party room spill. The word is next Tuesday when they meet.

A backbench revolt in the Liberal Party could unseat the Prime Minister within a week. 

Three MPs last night publicly disavowed their leader in what appears to be a chaotic but coordinated campaign to force a spill in the party when it meets on Tuesday. 

The organic insurrection is not being encouraged, nor discouraged, by the only credible leadership aspirants, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull. 

West Australian MP Dennis Jensen was first to break ranks, telling the ABC he had informed Mr Abbott that he no longer enjoyed his support. 

Dr Jensen said the Prime Minister should be replaced as soon as possible because the Coalition was "not governing as we should be". 

"There is no strategic direction, the policy is not consistent and coherent," Dr Jensen said. 

He was quickly joined by Queensland backbencher Warren Entsch, who said he would seek a "resolution" to the issue at the next partyroom meeting. 

"This speculation has to stop and we need to have a situation where there's a whole-of-government approach," he said. 

"It's about leadership, it's certainly about leadership." 

Fellow Queenslander Mal Brough said he could not offer the Prime Minister "unequivocal" support and agreed the party should resolve the matter swiftly. more

Now with Abbott dug in and refusing to resign gracefully, this has the potential to get very very messy. Lieberals don't do well spilling leaders, it's like pulling teeth for them. Unlike the Labor party which has it down to a fine art. 

There must be much Lieberal soul searching after Abbott finally gets turfed by the party. How could this disaster of a PM be allowed to continue on for 18 months completely wrecking the place? Why didn't the party have the balls to stand up to him? How could blind freddy see what was happening with Abbott and the Lieberals but the party hierarchy couldn't?

This is a humiliating defeat for the far right of the Lieberal party. They find themselves now isolated from the Australian community as lunar right wackos. This is a huge defeat for the far right, one they'll likely never come back from in Australia.