One of Tony Abbott's staunchest allies insists he has confidence in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull despite being at odds with his handling of the citizenship saga.
Last week, Liberal backbencher Kevin Andrews - who was dumped as defence minister when Mr Turnbull took power in late 2015 - said the prime minister was the leader "at the moment" which stoked a flurry of leadership speculation.
The conservative MP is among the most vocal backers of a citizenship audit of all members of parliament, insisting the ongoing issue demands a strong and decisive response.
Asked if the citizenship saga was a direct test of Mr Turnbull's leadership Mr Andrews said: "There's a deep sense of frustration in the community as what people see as inadequate leadership at the present time."
"No, I have not lost confidence in the prime minister," he told Sky News on Sunday.
"I'm not here advocating for a change of leader."
He was not aware of any move to challenge the prime minister and acknowledged the Australian people don't like the revolving door of leaders through the prime minister's office over recent years.
He said Turnbull government needed to listen more and be clear and decisive about its policies and not run scared at the first hint of opposition.
Mr Andrews also broke government ranks by calling for Australia to consider taking up New Zealand's offer to accept 150 refugees amid the five day stand-off on Manus Island at the mothballed detention centre.
The offer has been rejected more than once on the grounds it would give asylum seekers a backdoor into Australia and become a marketing opportunity for people smugglers.
