Tony Abbott has made his first concrete move to address back bench concerns his prime ministerial style is too dictatorial.
Starting on Monday, the heads of the coalition's backbench policy committee will get to meet cabinet at least once every two months.
Mr Abbott promised those meetings would give opportunities for frank and fearless exchanges of ideas.
"There are ideas and insights amongst our party room colleagues that the cabinet needs to hear," he told Sky News on Thursday.
"All wisdom does not reside in the public service."
The prime minister has repeatedly promised over recent months to be more consultative and collegial.
Senior Liberals have said Mr Abbott's survival as prime minister depends on him improving his performance and demonstrating he can listen to his party.
Fireworks are likely when the Liberal party room meets for the first time in 2015 next Tuesday.
Several Liberal MPs have called for the leadership question to be resolved quickly one way or another.
But Mr Abbott said him calling on a spill motion during Tuesday's meeting would just be a "distraction".
Asked if he was confident of winning should there be a vote, Mr Abbott said, "I don't expect anything like that to happen".
He believes Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop when they declare they're not campaigning to get his job, he said.
"I trust them, they're my friends and colleagues," he told Sky News.
Former minister Arthur Sinodinos, now a backbench senator, said his support for Mr Abbott was not unconditional.
Asked if Mr Abbott would be leader next week, he said: "Comrade, ask me next week."
But Mr Abbott said earlier on Tuesday he was very confident he'd still be prime minister by the end of next week - the first parliamentary sitting week for the year.
He hadn't spoken to Senator Sinodinos in the past day but intended to do so soon.
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