TASMANIAN Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has sought to stomp out speculation he is lobbying colleagues to turf Treasurer Joe Hockey in a possible leadership spill. Reports have today surfaced that Senator Abetz has been speaking with party room colleagues, encouraging them to replace a number of ministers in tomorrow's Liberal leadership vote. Senator Abetz denied the speculation. ''I continue to support the leadership team and I continue to support all of my Ministerial colleagues, including the Treasurer,'' Senator Abetz said in a statement. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has called a special party room meeting for 9am tomorrow to end uncertainty around his leadership. A spill motion to consider the Liberal leadership had been scheduled for Tuesday morning, but Mr Abbott this morning announced it had been brought forward 24 hours. ''This morning, I have asked the chief government whip to call a special party room meeting for 9.00am on Monday 9 February to consider the spill motion,'' Mr Abbott said in a statement. ''It is important to end the uncertainty at the very beginning of the parliamentary sitting week.'' ''The normal Party Room meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning will also go ahead in the usual way,'' he said. The statement came just 30 minutes after likely leadership contender, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, praised the Prime Minister for holding the meeting on Tuesday. ''He's also, I think, shown great respect for the party room by saying that the meeting will be on Tuesday which is the normal party room meeting,'' Mr Turnbull said. ''He knows members coming to Canberra, who will be getting lots of phone calls, talking to constituents, many of which will be uncertain, will want to have the opportunity to sit down and talk to each other in the nation's capital in the course of that Monday leading up to the Tuesday.'' Six of Tasmania's seven Liberal MPs have publicly declared their support for Mr Abbott. MORE TO COME
TASMANIAN Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has sought to stomp out speculation he is lobbying colleagues to turf Treasurer Joe Hockey in a possible leadership spill.
Reports have today surfaced that Senator Abetz has been speaking with party room colleagues, encouraging them to replace a number of ministers in tomorrow's Liberal leadership vote.
Senator Abetz denied the speculation.
''I continue to support the leadership team and I continue to support all of my Ministerial colleagues, including the Treasurer,'' Senator Abetz said in a statement.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has called a special party room meeting for 9am tomorrow to end uncertainty around his leadership.
A spill motion to consider the Liberal leadership had been scheduled for Tuesday morning, but Mr Abbott this morning announced it had been brought forward 24 hours.
''This morning, I have asked the chief government whip to call a special party room meeting for 9.00am on Monday 9 February to consider the spill motion,'' Mr Abbott said in a statement.
''It is important to end the uncertainty at the very beginning of the parliamentary sitting week.''
''The normal Party Room meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning will also go ahead in the usual way,'' he said.
The statement came just 30 minutes after likely leadership contender, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, praised the Prime Minister for holding the meeting on Tuesday.
''He's also, I think, shown great respect for the party room by saying that the meeting will be on Tuesday which is the normal party room meeting,'' Mr Turnbull said.
''He knows members coming to Canberra, who will be getting lots of phone calls, talking to constituents, many of which will be uncertain, will want to have the opportunity to sit down and talk to each other in the nation's capital in the course of that Monday leading up to the Tuesday.''
Six of Tasmania's seven Liberal MPs have publicly declared their support for Mr Abbott.
