Former prime minister Tony Abbott believes it's the duty of his successor Malcolm Turnbull to keep the Liberal Party together in the face of splinter fears.
While conservative voices within the coalition like Eric Abetz and former members such as Bronwyn Bishop are warning there are tough questions for the coalition in the new year as its support deteriorates in the polls.
Outspoken senator Cory Bernardi is reportedly preparing to leave the Liberal fold and create his own Australian Conservatives party, while Nationals MP George Christensen says he's loyal now but might not always remain inside the tent.
Mr Abbott has written to Liberals telling them a split would doom the party. The Australian reports him as saying: "The first duty of the leader is to keep the party together".
Government ministers have been quick to brush off concerns about backbenchers abandoning the party.
But former frontbencher, Senator Abetz believes there are tough questions for the party after it "bled" votes to forces like One Nation, from its natural core constituency.
"I don't think it is acceptable for us to say 'business as usual, everything is hunky dory'," he told ABC radio on Friday.
"Why is it that since the election our position has deteriorated - and I think the reason is that we are not reflecting the aspirations of the Australian people."
Senator Abetz nominated household budgets, job security and national security as key issues for the coalition to focus on next year.
"It is not marriage, it is not republic," he said.
Changes to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act's section have also become a mainstream issue and should also be a priority in the new year, the former minister said.
He cited the rule of politics that "disunity is death", urging people to - if at all possible - work within the party and system to make it work.
Ms Bishop, the former Speaker, doesn't think Senator Bernardi will split from the party, but warns Mr Turnbull has work to do to take the party back to the centre-right.
"The leadership of the Liberal Party can be a broad church, but not broad enough to have socialist philosophy creeping into it," she told Sky News.
Former deputy Liberal leader Peter Reith argued attempts to split the party are not in the coalition's interest.
"I accept that there are some people who would prefer to go back to Tony (Abbott) but I think going back to Tony is really a backward step," he said.
"You want to get Tony back - what, make Cory (Bernardi) the treasurer would you? Bring Peta Credlin back in to run the country?
"I mean seriously."
The Howard government minister said Mr Abbott should take a six-month holiday, noting it is the "same old crowd" within the coalition agitating.
"Eric (Abetz) is not exactly a big name in Australian politics," Mr Reith said.
Labor leader Bill Shorten seized on the "civil war" within the government, saying he was trying to imagine what it would be like at the Liberal family Christmas.
"You have uncle Cory (Bernardi) in the corner, cousin George (Christensen) muttering to himself and of course you have got the ghost of Christmas past, Tony Abbott," he told reporters in Melbourne.
