Tony Abbott & Julie Bishop: Is it Kevin Rudd & Julia Gillard all over again? - Women's Agenda

Tony Abbott & Julie Bishop: Is it Kevin Rudd & Julia Gillard all over again?

Amid growing speculation about the possibility of an LNP leadership spill, rumours have now begun to circulate that the prime minister’s relationship with his deputy Julie Bishop is fraught and worsening.

Fairfax and News Limited newspapers are both reporting that Canberra insiders are saying the pair’s working relationship has become “untenable”. It is compounding the speculation about Abbott’s future as prime minister.

Abbott was resolute in rebuking a change of leadership in his address to the National Press Club yesterday. He said the government would refuse to return to the “chaos” they chastised the previous Labor government for. 

However it seems his efforts to quell the rumours were in vain, as more MPs have come forward today saying something must be done to set the government on a new path.

Among these comments are new revelations about the prime minister’s political and personal relationship with Bishop. Just as Abbott is promising not to emulate Labor’s mistakes, his relationship with Bishop is now being described as particularly reminiscent of the Rudd-Gillard partnership.

“Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott now have a Gillard-Rudd like relationship. It can’t go on like this,” said one MP. 

Another MP described the pair’s relationship as “untenable”.

To make matters worse for the prime minister desperate to distance himself from chatter about a change of leadership, earlier today he was confronted with rumours that he personally approached Bishop and asked her for confirmation that she would not challenge him for the leadership.

Claims begun circulating this morning that not only had Abbott asked Bishop to promise she wouldn’t challenge him, but also that she refused to provide any such assurance. The report originated from Sky News Australia.

On this morning’s Sunrise program, host David Koch repeatedly asked the prime minister if this conversation between himself and his deputy had taken place, and Abbott continually avoided answering the question.

“Did you ask her not to challenge and did she refuse?” Koch asked.

“I think people find all that insider Canberra stuff so boring,” Abbott replied.

“Did you ask her not to challenge and did she refuse?” Koch asked again.

“I meet with Julie Bishop all the time…the public elected me as Prime Minister to end Labor’s mess. We’re not going to go back to the chaos of the Labor days,” Abbott said.

“Can you just answer me, did you ask Julie Bishop not to challenge and did she say no?” Koch asked a third time.

Abbott then repeated himself by saying:

“I’m not going to play these Canberra insider games. Why don’t we just leave all that insider gossip to the Canberra insiders.”

Later this morning, he told reporters in Sydney: “Julie and I have lots of talks as you’d expect, we’re friends, we’re colleagues, we’re part of the leadership team and we support each other…we always have and we always will.”

During his address to the National Press Club yesterday, Abbott declared today “back to work Tuesday” in hopes his defiant speech would quell leadership rumours for good.

It didn’t.

In fact, talk of a leadership spill has actually mounted over the course of today, with Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane telling the ABC it would be “helpful” for both Bishop and the LNP’s other possible candidate Malcolm Turnbull to come forward publicly and announce whether or not they plan to challenge Abbott for the prime ministership.

“I’d call on both Malcolm — who I know is not planning any leadership challenge because he gave me that assurance — but I also call on Julie Bishop to make that assurance,” he said.

While neither Bishop nor Turnbull have indicated thus far whether or not they intend to make a bid for the leadership, answers may be imminent. This afternoon, the party will commence a two-day Cabinet meeting, during which front bench MPs are expected to air their concerns about Abbott’s continued tenure as LNP leader and as Australia’s prime minister.

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