Barnaby Joyce says Malcolm Turnbull should consider stepping down as prime minister if he can't arrest the government's polling woes by the end of the year.
The Coalition lost a 30th Newspoll in a row on Monday, a mark Mr Turnbull used as a reason to dump Tony Abbott.
Mr Joyce - who doesn't have a say on the Liberal leadership - wants to wait until after the budget to make a "fair judgment" on Mr Turnbull's position.
The former Nationals leader said if credible polling continued to be poor deeper into the year, the prime minister should look at making way for an alternative leader.
"You have an obligation not to drive your party or the government off a cliff," Mr Joyce told Sky News.
"Nobody wants to go to a federal election which you know you're going to lose. It's like playing in the losing grand final - no one wants to play in the losing side.
"You have an obligation to all around you that if you honestly believe that is the case, then you must do something about it and do the honourable thing and start grooming an alternative."
Mr Joyce insists the government is a "long, long way" from getting to the point where the government should look at switching leaders.
It came as Treasurer Scott Morrison backed the prime minister yet mentioned his own leadership ambitions.
Mr Morrison told the ABC he would be interested "if an opportunity presented itself, but not while Malcolm Turnbull's the Prime Minister because he's the right Prime Minister to lead our party, not just to this election but beyond".
Turnbull 'has confidence of the party room'
Mr Turnbull said despite reaching 30 straight Newspoll losses, he has the "confidence of the party room".
The latest Newspoll, published in The Australian, shows the Coalition trailing Labor 48-52 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
Speaking on Miranda Devine Live on Monday, Mr Turnbull said polls are wrong "plenty of times", citing the polling of the recent Bennelong by-election and South Australian and Tasmanian state elections.
He also said many Australians simply "do not pay attention" to polls.
Yet in 2015, Mr Turnbull cited 30 Newspoll losses as a reason for challenging Tony Abbott for the leadership.
"I regret referring to Newspoll ... I regret being a political commentator," Mr Turnbull said on Monday.
When Ms Divine mentioned the "white anting" of Mr Abbott, Mr Turnbull said that "all the kayaking keeps me calm".
Mr Turnbull reiterated similar points on Sydney's 2GB, saying "opinion polls have been a poor predictor of elections recently".
"It is very close. The election is very winnable ... We will keep fighting," he said.
Malcolm Turnbull used 30 consecutive Newspoll losses as one reason for ousting Tony Abbott in 2015. Source: AAP
Cabinet ministers rallied around the prime minister, insisting he maintained the support of the party.
Supporters of Mr Abbott are calling for policy changes to reverse the Coalition's losing streak in the polls. However, the Coalition has narrowed the margin by one point from the previous poll.
Earlier on Monday, Mr Turnbull laid out several reasons for challenging Mr Abbott, who was prime minister in 2015, which included Mr Abbott's loss of 30 Newspolls in a row.
Speaking at a childcare centre in Sydney, Mr Turnbull also said he regretted the comments he made at the time, but said he had delivered on other leadership promises.
"I regret making those remarks at the time, making the remarks about 30 Newspolls at the time. But what I promised to do was to provide economic leadership and traditional cabinet government, and I have done both," Mr Turnbull said.
"I do have the confidence of my colleagues and no-one is suggesting I don't."
Dutton wants to be prime minister one day
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Monday has revealed he would like to lead Australia one day, but denies he will challenge Mr Turnbull.
“There are 149 people in the federal parliament, I’m one and I think the other 148, if they’re being honest, would tell you if the opportunity came their way they’d be interested as well,” he told 3AW on Monday.
“There are lots of reasons why you would want to lead … what I think is the greatest country in the world.
“That’s something that many parliamentarians aspire to and I think opportunities can come. But for me, as I say, loyalty is important and I’ve made a virtue of that.”
When asked about a potential Dutton challenge on Monday, Mr Turnbull told 2GB: “Ambition is a wonderful thing”.
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Abbott: I don't call journalists and whisper poison
Also on Monday, Mr Abbott said he would not "obsess over polls" but called for the Coalition to reduce immigration and invest in coal-fired power to win back the support of voters.
"What we should be focused on is being the best possible government and winning an election," Mr Abbott told reporters on Monday morning, as he continues his 'pollie pedal' charity bike ride through the Latrobe Valley.
"We should be the party of low power prices, and that means more coal-fired baseload power generation in this country. We should be the party of higher wages and more affordable housing, and that means scaling back the current rate of immigration."
Mr Abbott said he would continue to be open and vocal about his disagreements on policy direction as a backbench member of the government.
"One of the differences between me and some of my colleagues is that if I've got something to say I don't ring up a journalist and whisper poison into their ears, I say it upfront, openly and I put my name to it," Mr Abbott said.
Abetz: Not aware of any move against Turnbull
Liberal senator and Abbott supporter Eric Abetz said he was “not aware of any move” against Turnbull’s leadership on the day of the prime minister’s 30th Newspoll loss, but repeated his calls for government investment in coal-fired power to win back the support of voters.
“Mr Turnbull, I believe, has the confidence of the party room,” the Tasmanian senator told ABC Radio on Monday morning.
“In those circumstances, he will continue to lead the party to the next election and I’m not aware of any move against his leadership.”
Senator Abetz said the government had delivered strong jobs growth but said more needed to be done on energy affordability.
"That is why in recent times myself and a few colleagues have been focusing on that issue."
Mr Abetz is among a group of Coalition MPs calling for a new coal-fired power station to be built in Australia, possibly with government assistance.
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Turnbull's reasons for rolling Abbott
He said the government should put "pensioners before Paris", referring to the global climate change agreement Australia has signed, and said energy policy should not be restrained by "meaningless" carbon emission targets.
Turnbull focused on winning election
Mr Turnbull has acknowledged, without mentioning Mr Abbott, disruptions in the party were causing issues but said he was focused on winning the election due in the second half of next year.
"We are in a close, tight political environment. The next election is absolutely there to be won," he said.
"My job is not there to be distracted by polls, but to focus on our policies and on delivering for the Australian people."
He told News Corp tabloids that opinion polls were not good predictors of actual election results.
"If opinion polls determined who would win elections," then "Kristina Keneally would be the member for Bennelong and Nick Xenophon... Premier of South Australia," Mr Turnbull said, in reference to opinion poll results that did not eventuate at the respective elections.
We have lost 30 Newspolls in a row. It is clear that the people have made up their mind about Mr Abbott's leadership Malcolm Turnbull, September 14, 2015
What happened when Turnbull challenged Abbott
Back in September 2015, when Mr Turnbull announced he would challenge Mr Abbott for the leadership, he said: "If we continue with Mr Abbott as prime minister it is clear enough what will happen. He will cease to be prime minister, and he will be succeeded by Mr Shorten."
"The one thing that is clear about our current situation is the trajectory. We have lost 30 Newspolls in a row. It is clear that the people have made up their mind about Mr Abbott's leadership," he said at the time. 
Tony Abbott says he won't challenge Malcolm Turnbull despite the expected 30th bad Newspoll. Source: AAP
Mr Abbott insists he is not about to challenge Mr Turnbull for a return.
"None of us should live in the past or dwell on things," Mr Abbott told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday before pushing off on the annual Pollie Pedal charity bike ride.
Labor leader Bill Shorten said on Sunday he didn't focus on opinion polls.
"I've made it a practice of not commenting on polls when the polls have been good, bad or indifferent," he told reporters in Perth at the start of a six-day tour of the West.
"Mr Turnbull obsesses about polls, as do the National and Liberal parties."
Kevin Rudd weighs in
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd used the milestone to hit out at both party leaders, accusing Mr Shorten of being a "beneficiary" of the 2010 leadership spill that saw Julia Gillard replace Mr Rudd as prime minister.
"Ironically, the beneficiaries of the 2010 coup are Malcolm (Godwin Gretch) Turnbull and Bill (I'm with the coup) Shorten," the former prime minister wrote on Twitter.
"In 87 Newspolls I fell behind once. Based on that, coup leaders acted, saying we'd lose election. Both MT&BS [Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten] would be long gone if we applied that standard now."
- With AAP
