Malcolm Turnbull is facing the threat of a second leadership challenge within days, as his rival Peter Dutton begins canvassing alternative policies.
At least 10 ministers have offered to resign after voting against the prime minister in a snap leadership ballot on Tuesday, but most were rebuffed and will remain on the front bench.
Mr Turnbull defeated his ex-home affairs minister 48 votes to 35 in the Liberal leadership spill, but backers of Mr Dutton believe his support levels are quickly climbing.
"Now that the genie is out of the bottle, I'm not sure we can put it back," Liberal MP Craig Kelly told the ABC.
Mr Dutton has started his media campaign to reach out to Australian voters, with energy and fuel prices in his sights.
In his first radio interview since, Mr Dutton told Triple M in Melbourne he wants a royal commission on fuel and energy prices, and would consider removing the GST on electricity for families and pensioners.
At least 10 ministers including four from cabinet offered to stand down after voting against Mr Turnbull, but so far he has only accepted two of their resignations, including that of Mr Dutton.
He also accepted the resignation of International Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells after she wrote a scathing letter criticising the Liberal party for "drifting too far to the left".
"I have concerns about the party ... we always spoke about the broad church and the importance of balance, this is a concern," she said after tendering her resignation.
Senator Fierravanti-Wells suggested the prime minister's support for same-sex marriage had eroded the party's base and forced angry voters to turn their backs on the Liberals.
Mr Turnbull called for unity after fending off the leadership threat.
"We know that disunity undermines the ability of any government to get its job done," Mr Turnbull said.
"We've got to put 25 million Australians first. They hate it when we are talking about each other."
But some Liberal MPs believe Mr Dutton's failed challenge is the beginning of the end of Mr Turnbull's prime ministership.
"I think there was a shift after the partyroom meeting with the offers of resignation by a considerable number of ministers," Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz said.
However, at least three Nationals MPs, including Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester, are threatening to quit the coalition and move to the cross bench if Mr Dutton seizes power.
"All options are on the table in a volatile environment," Mr Chester told the ABC.
"There's no reason why any potential challenger, whoever that may be, should assume that they can command numbers on the floor of the House of Representatives, given we have a one-seat majority."
Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce counselled Mr Chester to remember: "We don't have a dog in this fight, it's for the Liberal Party."
Liberal deputy leader Julie Bishop denied she threatened to quit parliament if Mr Dutton seized the top job, stripping the government of its majority and forcing a by-election.
Ms Bishop also said a number of people who voted against Mr Turnbull had since reconsidered their position.
Addressing the media after the spill, Mr Dutton tried to soften his image as a hard-line conservative on social issues and border protection.
He insisted he was a better leader to fight Opposition Leader Bill Shorten at the next election and repeatedly refused to rule out a second leadership challenge.
Contributing to Mr Turnbull's leadership woes are a string of poor public polls and internal anger over his government's energy and climate change policies.
