2nd LD Writethru: Australia's Liberal Party leadership vote retains Abbott as PM but in precarious position

Tony Abbott will remain as Australian prime minister after a motion to spill the leadership of the Liberal Party was defeated on Monday morning.

The results of the secret ballot conducted before the first parliamentary session of the year were 61 votes against the leadership spill and 39 in favor.

"The result is very clear," said parliamentary whip Phillip Ruddock. "That seems to me to resolve the matter."

Discomforting for Abbott was the number of voters in support of the spill motion, almost two-fifths of his party.

Given that none of Abbott's colleagues had announced their intention to challenge for the leadership, that effectively meant 39 Liberal Party MPs voted purely in protest against his leadership.

This has led to speculation that another challenge to his leadership might be on the horizon.

A former long-serving minister in John Howard's government, Peter Reith, told Sky News that Monday's vote was a bad result for Abbott.

"It's a very bad day for Tony, no doubt about it," Reith said. "I would think a serious number of frontbench ministers have peeled off Tony already."

The prime minister has been under pressure from colleagues and the public following a series of unpopular decisions, leading to his mistakes being called "Captain's Calls".

Last week in a speech many saw as crucial, Abbott killed off his controversial paid parental leave scheme policy and conceded he would change his leadership style.

A fortnight ago, Abbott controversially awarded Queen Elizabeth 's husband, Prince Phillip, an Australian knighthood before public outrage caused him to agree to leave future awards decisions to the Australia Day Council. Endi