Entsch joins revolt against Abbott
Wednesday February 4 2015, 7:10am
Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch has joined a growing revolt against Prime Minister Tony Abbott, saying the leadership issues around the PM ‘need to be resolved’.
Mr Entsch, whose electorate of Leichhardt includes Port Douglas, Mossman, Cairns and Cape York, said he would press the issue at the next LNP partyroom meeting.
“The speculation has to stop and we need to have a situation where it’s a whole-of-government approach,” Mr Entsch said to media.
“It’s about leadership, it’s certainly about leadership.”
Mr Entsch has previously criticised Mr Abbott for his leadership style.
He is the third MP to openly break ranks against Tony Abbott after MPs Dennis Jensen and Mal Brough also declared they no longer support the PM.
Mr Entsch, however, holds an unofficial yet vital role as chief whip, meaning he is responsible for enforcing party discipline.
It has been reported that there are many more MPs inside the government that would not support Mr Abbott if a leadership spill occurred.
It appears to be crunch time for Mr Abbott, whose approval ratings have been steadily declining since taking office.
Recently those ratings went into a nosedive over his awarding of an Australian Knighthood to Prince Philip of the UK, to widespread public scorn and ridicule.
The disastrous rout of the once-dominant LNP during the weekend’s state election has also been partly attributed to Mr Abbott’s decreasing popularity, with Labor, other parties and the media pointing his lack of involvement in Premier Campbell Newman’s campaign.
