Given that Malcolm Turnbull used Abbott’s poor poll ratings to justify his successful challenge for the top job in September 2015; will Abbott reciprocate soon, and challenge Turnbull back?
With Turnbull’s popularity at rock bottom, and the Coalition’s vote heading south could Abbott make a return in the near future? Recently Malcolm was described as a ‘Claytons’ PM leading a government suffering from political paralyses, as internal factions fight for control of policy. Handed a wafer thin majority and no control of the Senate, at the recent election, is desperation setting in.
Is it time for Tony Abbott to make a return. Media reports indicate Abbott and his supporters have been working hard in the background!

I’ve been wondering the same thing.

I’m not sure that the Liberals are silly enough to re-install Abbott, though. His popularity was worse. Turnbull’s popularity is likely dropping because of those who saw him as more of a centrist, but are disappointed now that he’s sold out to appease an unrepresentatively-conservative backbench ready to sharpen their knives at any minute.

Of course, most here on OLO would insist that it’s because he’s not right-wing enough. But if that were the case, then Abbott wouldn’t have been so unpopular and Labor’s popularity wouldn’t be rising.

I do hope they put Abbott back at the helm again, though. It would be another Rudd-Gillard-Rudd - an occurrence that the Liberals tried to pass off as a sign of incompetence and a uniquely-Labor failing, rather than what it actually was: a sign of the times.

"... [W]e are not the Labor party. I want to repeat that ... we are not the Labor party." - Tony Abbott

Only last week Abbott a Backbencher put it to the PM that he wanted in, in the Cabinet that is. Not only did this Backbencher want in, he nominated Aboriginal Affairs as what he wanted, using Cate McGregor as his messenger girl.
Abbott in making this demand knows full well there is no Cabinet position available to him, and Turnbull would not appreciate the nomination of what position, Abbott undermining Turnbull's authority. Not that Turnbull want Abbott in anyway.
Abbott did offer an "olive branch" of sorts, include me in, knowing there is no position and it would be a sign of weakness if Turnbull gave in and brought him back, and I will stop speaking out, or was that a gun to the head of Turnbull, not so sure.

http://www.afr.com/news/politics/tony-abbott-wants-a-cabinet-job--again-20161101-gsf5e9

Who cares? Abbott refused to deal with 18c while he could have, then claimed to regret his gutlessness when he was given the flick. Turnbull refuses to do anything about it. Both are cowards who have no idea what the Coalition is supposed to stand for. Neither pansy has stood up for Bill Leak or the QUT students, or moved against Triggs and her Nazi Star Chamber. Both want to 'recognise' and discriminate against 97% of Australians for the benifit of 3% of the population. Neither creature is worth a pinch of poop to us. Their miserable Coalition is in lockstep with the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd government, spending like drunken sailors - $100,000 per day more than they earn, using borrowed money to stay afloat on a day to day basis. And now, a Green wants to know when/if one miserable dog will take back the stuffing up of a now miserable Coalition from another miserable dog. Politics and governance have been reduced to a spectator farce in Australia.

While the Coalition is also in lockstep with the previous Labor government with stupid leadership issues, today's polls have Labor 6% ahead of the Coalition. We Australians must have done something awful to have any of the dipsticks who have been infesting parliament for the last few years. Every 3 years, we give one of the duopoly a blank cheque. There must be a better way. Most candidates these days are selected, not by party members, but by faceless power brokers to whom the select moron is answerable to well before the Australian people get a look in. The whole system is corrupt and rotten, no matter who is the titular 'leader' of either side.

Most active Young Liberals joined the party because of the strength of
Tony Abbott.
Today the Liberal Party is losing members with such a wishy washy political stance.
Iman Turnbull is willing to sit back and watch honest Queensland University have their future ruined by the criminal Julian Trigg and her NAZI COURT.
18C is a disgrace and should have been Liberals first job to scrap in this term.
If these students were greedy criminal drug dealers in Indonesia .Malcolm Turn Bull would pull out all stops.
He is a disgrace as a Prime Minister.
Bring back Tony Abbott.Another six months of Iman Malcolm Turnbull will ruin the Liberal Party permanently.

The Liberal Party of today is not the Party that I supported from early 60's through to the Howard years. While I do like Tony ABBOTT'S strength and his ethical stance on true conservatism, he does unfortunately lack the ability to sell his message to the population.

However when we contrast the oratory abilities of Malcolm TURNBULL compared to that of Mr ABBOTT, well Mr TURNBULL would most likely win hands down, if only he had the spine to articulate the tough messages that needs to be addressed, and addressed quite urgently.

Everyday we see more of our 'rights' being curtailed even removed; typically of this, is our hitherto right to speak freely, about anything or anybody or any issue or policy we wish. The failure to repeal that disgusting anathema of a sub-section 18c is just such an infringement! And what does our leader do about it? Zip, nought, sfa, or any other descriptive word one wishes to apply. Our freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our democracy - thus it MUST be preserved but with Mr TURNBULL it repeal will simply slip away into oblivion - Though Tony ABBOTT did nothing about it either?

Now would be a good time for Tony to take back his job. The regressives pick has proven a complete failure and Tony can take great courage from Trumps victory. All those on the gw scam gravy train must be shaking in their boots. No wonder they are protesting in the street. They hate the public having their say. Getting rid of the abc should be high priority. They are one pathetic lot.

o sung wu,
18c was effectively cut down yesterday by the High Court decision to throw out the charges against those academics.
Perhaps politicians here might take some backbone lessons from the
American voters who have said 'enough is enough'
Up here in Far North Queensland they are all starting to crap themselves in the face of an oncoming wipe out by One nation.

Hi there CHRISGAFF1000...

It's really good to hear from you my friend, and I can only hope life's been good to you in the preceding couple months since last we had the opportunity to speak?

I'm totally in agreement with you Chris, I'm sick to death of these rabid 'Lefties' destroying every single hard fought 'right' our forefathers established for us that we've previously enjoyed. S.18c is an utter anathema on all free speech, and the LNP should immediately repeal it, as their first order of business the very next Parliamentary sitting day! Surely most of those in the Senate will have sufficient common sense to see that the entire section must be repealed forthwith.

Another example I heard on our beloved 'leftist' ABC radio, that was reported recently, a group of like minded enlightened individuals are apparently 'constructing' a series of gender guidelines, for schools and other teaching institutions? Thus far they've got a total of six distinct gender categories? What happened to a male and female, any others are absolute crap! Stay well Chris.

o sung wu,
I would not be happy with Abbott back as PM. He has not the ability to sell his policies and he missed the opportunity with deleting 18c and reversing multiculturalism and the need to restrict and cut back on certain migrants, You know the ones that cannot integrate.

Turnbull on the other hand is a lefty and better off in the Labor camp, no need to say any more. I could not believe the Libs were so stupid to make him PM.

I would favour Morrison as PM, after all he was the polly that stopped the boats, which many said was impossible. He would certainly be worth a try, from the present crop and don't under estimate how important the general public see immigration policy changes.

Interesting times ahead, to see what Trump can achieve for the US, but I don't think it will change much for us as it has not in my lifetime, whoever was US President.

Hi there BANJO...

Indeed there are interesting times ahead, but like you I don't think anything significant will occur in my lifetime either for that matter. The best we can hope for, is that things get better for our future kinsfolk and their progeny as well. With a total absence of any wars or major conflicts that may inflict further sorrow on our younger generation.

Hi o sung wu,

As a "lefty" I should remind you that it is dangerous to tar all with same brush. Like those on the right, the left have their fair share of loonies and nutters. Much of the social reforms that we enjoy today are the results of the efforts of progressive politicians, many in Australia from the Liberal Party.
The danger as I see it, is to be overwhelmed by extremism from one side or the other, and we know from history, given the right conditions that can easily happen, without most of us even realizing it has taken place.
Hanson may not be a Hitler, I doubt she is, but there is an ever present danger that a populists politician like her, can be used and manipulated by others for the benefit of the extreme. It is important that we jealousy guard our hard won civil liberties, and not simply cast them aside because some populists dictates we should. 18c by all means revisit it, look at it, discuss it broadly within the community. and if it needs modification, then modify it. Do not simply react in a knee jerk fashion and throw it out, as the extremist would have us do.

Hi there PAUL1405...

I stand corrected Paul, indeed every side of politics has their fair share of ratbags as well as luminaries and other forward thinking individuals.

Interestingly I've become quite enamoured with much of what Mark LATHAM has been saying in recent months. When as Labour leader he stood against John HOWARD I disliked him immensely, now he's essentially out of mainstream politics he's like a breath of fresh air with some marvellous insights in what it is he thinks? What a pity we weren't permitted to see that side of him when he stood against Mr HOWARD? Or is he carefully scripted to say and do exactly what it is the boys in the back room tell him to say? Such is the awful power of every Parties 'faceless men' the devious, conniving bastards!

Hey o sung wu, you sound like you're only inches away from giving Turnbull to Labor, [bloody good idea of course], & taking LATHAM into the Libs. I've not heard Latham recently, but if you find him making sense that is interesting. Is he bloody minded enough to tell all the twits to go to hell, & toughen up policies enough to do some good, if that was his intention.

Quite often people want to chose someone they think is "NICE" for PM, when you often need an absolute Ba###rd to do the job.

If this fool Turnbull continues to be the pick of the Libs I see a very real change in the parties in Oz. We are fortunate to have Barnaby as National leader. He is saying all the very nice things about Turnbull, while obviously sitting on his head, to stop the more stupid things he wants to do.

There is no way they could win with him again.

Hi there HASBEEN...

I really don't know what it is about Malcolm TURNBULL. All I know is I just don't trust the man - it's a though he wears a conservative Coat, but all the time he's preaching Labour values. Moreover the man reeks of utter weakness. In a fifteen minute message his popularity would literally shoot through the roof - one short sentence is all that's needed, viz;

"...on parliaments next sitting day, my government will take immediate steps to fully repeal S.18c, for the purpose of allowing all Australians, full freedom of speech, a concession that our forebears promised us, all those years ago...". "...This is an unequivocal promise I and my government will make, to every Australian, irrespective who they may have voted for, in the last general election...".

Could you imagine it, his personal popularity would utterly soar, but does he have the courage to do such a thing? No way Jose?

That would help o sung wu, but it wouldn't do it for me.

I can't believe that anyone who has access to all the information he has, can possibly believe in the global warming scam. It is obvious that any of them who continue to push the alternate energy barrow are using it & their position to feed taxpayer money to their mates, neck deep in the alternate energy industry.

I don't give a damn if they are using it to feather their future bed in civvy street, or to buy votes from the green blob, this behaviour has lost me.

He would have to come out cancelling all the handouts to alternate energy, cancel future carbon initiatives, & openly state we no longer support or fund the UN IPCC to even start to gain any traction with me. Even then it would take years before I would actually believe his intentions.

Lying bas###d or raving ratbag, who cares, he is the wrong man in the lodge, & while he's there the Libs have lost my vote.

Hi there HASBEEN...

Your last sentence says it all for me too? Why on earth would anyone vote for the Liberals with Malcolm TURNBULL at the helm? The only problem, who are an alternative Party? Labour? Never! Then who? A normally conservative voter has very little choice between Pauline HANSON's Party, or the other bloke in Victoria, Nick XENOPHON (sic) with his three (merry) Senator's. Essentially these few operatives are about the only viable options anyone has, if truth be known? Does anyone know the number of the US 'Tea Party' group by chance, or Mrs PALIN former Governor for the State of Alaska.