Tony Abbott faces a rocky return
Tony Abbott returns to work today in the wake of a damaging top-level leak showing a rift with two senior ministers and questions about when he will visit Queensland for the State election campaign.
The Prime Minister faces unwelcome scrutiny over revelations he rammed through Cabinet's razor gang the now-abandoned plan to slash the Medicare rebate for short visits to the doctor over the objections of Treasurer Joe Hockey and then-health minister Peter Dutton.
Mr Abbott was forced to interrupt a long-planned holiday last week to quell a backlash, opting to dump the cut before it was meant to start today. New Health Minister Sussan Ley this week will begin consultations with medical groups and crossbenchers to try to salvage some sort of co-payment.
It has emerged Mr Hockey and Mr Dutton opposed the back-up plan devised by the PM's office when the Expenditure Review Committee considered it last year.
News Corporation reported Mr Hockey and Mr Dutton fiercely argued the changes would confuse voters and enrage doctors.
Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss would not be drawn on whether Mr Abbott overruled the pair, saying he did not speculate on Cabinet or committee discussions.
Meanwhile, Mr Truss expected Mr Abbott would visit Queensland to campaign with Campbell Newman despite Labor's taunts the PM was "box office poison".
Mr Abbott was a notable absentee from the Liberal National Party's campaign launch in Brisbane yesterday.
Mr Truss said he and other Federal ministers had made a number of joint announcements with their Queensland counterparts on the hustings in the run-up to the January 31 poll.
"There will no doubt be occasions for Tony Abbott to make similar announcements," Mr Truss said.
