Liberal National Party President Gary Spence denies he's been calling for federal Queensland MPs to dump Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Following increasing speculation of a leadership spill involving Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, reports emerged on Monday that Mr Spence had been calling on MPs to drop their support for Mr Turnbull in favour of Mr Dutton.
"It's not a matter for me to make public comments on at all," Mr Spence insisted when questioned on Monday, also denying he had sent any emails or personally canvassed MPs.
"The party president has private conversations with MPs all the time."
"My view is my view," he said when asked where his personal support lay.
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It follows the prime minister's major backdown on his National Energy Guarantee on Monday, removing climate change targets from the planned legislation.
The move is seen as a capitulation to a growing group of rebels in the party room who are unhappy with the current policies, and Mr Turnbull as prime minister.
Mr Dutton, who holds the marginal Queensland seat of Dickson north of Brisbane, is seen as the frontrunner to replace Mr Turnbull if a spill occurs.
The government will defend eight marginal seats in the next federal election, and failed to take the battleground Queensland seat of Longman at the Super Saturday by-elections last month.
One federal Liberal MP, Trent Zimmerman, said Mr Spence should "get back in his box" and focus on helping the LNP win government in Queensland.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Mr Turnbull was paying the price for making policy on the fly.
"I was one of the first people who said he needed to get endorsement from his party room, that has not occurred," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"What we are seeing today is energy policy in freefall."
Asked about who her preferred prime minister would be, the Labor premier replied "Bill Shorten."
