EXCLUSIVE
Former Howard government cabinet minister Mal Brough is being urged by his colleagues to challenge Tony Abbott for the prime ministership if Saturday's election result in his home state of Queensland is as bad as many MPs fear.
Fairfax Media has confirmed with multiple sources that Mr Brough has been approached to act as a leadership circuit-breaker. He is said to be a taking a wait and see approach.
Mr Brough did not deny approaches had been made to him when contacted by Fairfax Media.
He said only that: "clearly people are talking to each other because we are all interested in doing what's best for the nation".
He is said to be a taking a wait-and-see approach.
Mr Brough, who sits on the backbench after reclaiming a seat in the Federal Parliament in 2013, is seen as a credible "suicide bomber" who could open the door for other leadership contenders such as Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to enter the fray.
The 2009 leadership challenge that saw Mr Abbott replace Mr Turnbull was precipitated by Victorian Liberal MP Kevin Andrews mounting a similar surprise challenge.
One MP who said the conversations with Mr Brough were under way said "lots of people are for a change of leader, but there is a broad spectrum of when and how".
"Malcolm Turnbull, Julie Bishop and Scott Morrison have not instigated this at all but if one of them put their hand up things would happen very quickly," the MP said.
One furious minister lashed the idea of a challenge, saying: "The only person who thinks Mal Brough can be prime minister is Mal Brough."
A second MP also confirmed that Mr Brough had been sounded out about a leadership tilt but cautioned "let's see what happens in Queensland".
On Saturday, Fairfax Media revealed Mr Turnbull and Ms Bishop were being urged by colleagues to challenge the Prime Minister but both had rebuffed those calling for a challenge
Scott Morrison is one of several senior MPs calling nervous backbenchers to shore up support for Mr Abbott.
Mr Brough, who sits on the backbench after reclaiming a seat in the federal parliament in 2013, is seen as a credible stalking horse - or suicide bomber - for other leadership contenders such as Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The 2009 leadership challenge that saw Mr Abbott replace Mr Turnbull was precipitated by Victorian Liberal MP Kevin Andrews mounting a similar surprise challenge.
While a challenge by Mr Brough is seen as unlikely to succeed, many Liberal MPs believe it would be an effective way to bring to a head rampant leadership speculation and dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister's performance.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman is expected to lose his own seat of Ashgrove in Saturday's poll, while the Liberal National Party is tipped to lose between 20 and 30 seats in the 89-member parliament.
The party went into the election with 73 seats, to Labor's nine.
Anger with the Abbott government is white hot among state and federal Queensland MPs and the Prime Minister has not campaigned in Queensland once.
Mr Abbott will aim to quell backbench anger at his performance – galvanised by his decision to award a knighthood to Prince Phillip on Australia Day – with a speech to the National Press Club on Monday.
He will announce a dramatic watering down of his signature paid parental leave scheme, which he has taken to two elections.
Mr Abbott's scheme would have paid mothers their full wage for 26 weeks, with the maximum payment capped at $50,000, and would have been paid in part by a 1.5 per cent levy on big business.
The current scheme, introduced by Labor, pays mothers the minimum wage for 18 weeks.Also on Saturday, Mr Abbott confirmed he would use his much-anticipated speech to the National Press Club on Monday to announce
"We will be scaling it back; we will be better targeting it," he said.
Several MPs welcomed Mr Abbott's decision to wind back the scheme, but said he would need to do much more to ensure he leads the party to the next election.
"If it goes really well, it will win him another few months," a conservative Liberal MP said of Monday's speech.
"I never thought I would say this but Malcolm is an option now. A year ago I would have said never. Now it is viable."
"I thought PPL was already dead," said another Liberal MP said. "PPL was widely disliked in the party and was a symbol of a PM who doesn't consult … What really matters is putting mechanisms in place to ensure something like this never happens again."
The MP said Mr Abbott's knighthood decision - "a complete f--k up" – has angered the party but that there was "no obvious candidate" for leader.
"People are curious but we are not there yet," he said.
"Malcolm, Julie and Scott would each acknowledge they have more work to do on their public profile or on winning support inside the party."
Another MP said that a change of leader would only give the government "five minutes of sunshine" and urged colleagues to stick with Mr Abbott.
