Liberal Party spill expected next week
FIRST ON 7: Tony Abbott's leadership crisis is expected to come to a head next week when Ministers will confront him about his leadership at a Cabinet meeting in Canberra.
Senior sources are telling 7News the Prime Minister's time is running out, and either Malcolm Turnbull or Julie Bishop will take the nation's top job.
As Mr Abbott entered New Zealand - the land of the long white cloud - his leadership was under a dark cloud.
On the way, he dropped into cyclone ravaged North Queensland.
"Let's finish with disaster questions and then we might take a couple of questions on other subjects," Mr Abbott told the media.
The only question was whether he could recover: "I'm not going to be distracted and none of my ministers are going to be distracted," the Prime Minister said knowing many already are.
At least ten of those Ministers have now turned against Tony Abbott, putting the partyroom numbers heavily in favour of a leadership spill.
Malcolm Turnbull is playing it cool: "I'll leave you guys to speculate about all that stuff."
Backbenchers who organised the first spill say the next move has to come from Cabinet, and 7News can reveal tonight that that is exactly where this issue will come to a head.
7News has been told that when Cabinet meets at 5pm on Monday Ministers will demand the Cabinet room be cleared of all advisers before official business begins - so Ministers, and Ministers only, can thrash out the leadership issue, once and for all.
"The people of Australia hate it when their representatives in Canberra become self-absorbed," Mr Abbot said on Friday.
But conceding his fate is in the hands of the partyroom, 7News revealed last night that Julie Bishop would be a candidate if the Prime Ministership does go to a vote.
Asked today what she was told was an easy question: "That's your idea of an easy question?"
Q: Would you run against Malcolm Turnbull?
BISHOP: These are hypothetical questions.
In New Zealand with Mr Abbott she says she is remaining loyal, but perhaps getting a little bit tired of it all - nodding off during his speech.
