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Besieged Australian PM faces second leadership challenge

Xinhua, September 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is bracing for a second leadership challenge in the space of six months, as pressure on his position continues to increase on Monday.

Abbott's approval rating has continued to slide amid warnings that an upcoming by-election is expected to result in a massive swing in favor of the opposition, something government MPs say is representative of the national feeling.

The federal seat of Canning in Western Australia - traditionally a safe Liberal seat - is expected to experience a swing of almost 10 points - not quite enough to lose, but enough to prompt Liberal ministers to strongly hint at a change at the top.

A poll published in Fairfax Media detailed a 9.8 percent swing against the government while a separate poll over the weekend had the swing at 10 percent. The Liberals hold the seat by 11.8 percent.

If the coalition happens to lose the seat, it is expected to be the moment that tips him over the edge.

But the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that six ministers have predicted a leadership challenge regardless of the result in Canning - where the by-election will be held on Saturday.

One minister was reported saying that Abbott would be unlikely to survive a second leadership spill.

"This time I think they will get him," he said on Monday.

A second minister told the national broadcaster that nothing had improved in the six months Abbot asked for following the last leadership challenge.

"(Abbott) said: 'Give me six months.' Well, he has had six months and things have gone from bad to worse," he said.

"He should just resign."

Meanwhile despite the internal unrest, Abbott moved to dispel any talk of a challenge, telling reporters that he and his cabinet would continue to govern Australia because "that's what (they) were elected to do."

"My job is to do what the public elected me to do two years ago, and that is to govern effectively every day for three years and then submit myself to the judgment of the people," Abbott said on Monday.

"I expect the government will go to the middle of next year and maybe a bit beyond, because that's what we were elected to do two years ago." Endi