Mood shifting 'away' from PM

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott believes the mood in the community is shifting away from the federal government, saying many Aussies want the Prime Minister's 'head on a plate'.

He told a coalition joint party room meeting that the suggestion flowing back from the community was that the Rudd government was about "broken promises".

During a joint party room meeting on Tuesday, coalition MPs and senators spoke of their experiences in their electorates, which backed Mr Abbott's observation.

'Head on a plate'

One MP told how during a visit to his local newsagent, he was informed that 75 per cent of his customers wanted the prime minister's "head on a plate".

Mr Rudd, however, had another message for his MPs and senators, telling them that the coalition would come undone by its recklessness.

"The other side of the (political) equation represents a risk from Tony Abbott's extreme views," he told the party room.

He again singled out coalition finance spokesman Barnaby Joyce for attention but predicted he would soon be "moved on".

However, there is no sign his own troubled environment minister, Peter Garrett, will be heading the same way any time soon.

Mr Rudd told caucus that Mr Garrett had the full confidence of the government.

Insulation 'threat'

The besieged minister received a round of applause from his colleagues.

An example of the how a coalition government would be a "step too far", Mr Rudd told caucus, were comments from Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham, who suggested the insulation program was the greatest threat to the safety of Australian families.

One point of contention during the caucus meeting was the Rudd government's expected decision to foist a nuclear waste dump upon the Northern Territory.

Two members of caucus are understood to have spoken out against the move.

Resources Minister Martin Ferguson told his colleagues the government wouldn't run away from "tough decisions" and it had to deal with the nuclear waste.