Malcolm Turnbull has accused former prime minister Tony Abbott of deliberately damaging the Coalition's performance in the latest Newspoll.
The poll, published in The Australian on Monday, shows the government trailing Labor 45 to 55 on a two-party-preferred basis.
The poll was conducted on the day of, and in the days following, a highly publicised speech by Tony Abbott last week in which he criticised the Turnbull government.
Mr Turnbull said he did not think that timing was coincidence.
"We saw an outburst on Thursday and it had its desired impact on the Newspoll," the prime minister said on Monday morning.
"It was exactly as predicted and as calculated.
"He knew exactly what he was doing and he did it. I'm not going to be distracted by that. It's a fact of life. That's what's happened."
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Labor could win next election: Liberal MP
Malcolm Turnbull has retained his edge on Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister, leading 40 percent to 33.
But the federal opposition has seized on the poll figures, suggesting they could spell trouble for Mr Turnbull's leadership.
"The house is on fire," Labor Senator Sam Dastyari said.
"There is nobody in this building who still believes that Malcolm Turnbull is going to survive with these types of numbers."
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said the poll was a reminder the government needed to "sell the message".
"Some people say polls go up and polls go down. I'm not a fool, I've read them, and what they are is a motivation to me that people have concerns," Mr Joyce said.
Pauline Hanson's One Nation party appears to have been the beneficiary of the Coalition's falling vote.
The party has doubled its primary vote since November and is now sitting on 10 per cent.
Liberal 'deplorables' are good people, says Cormann
Senior government figures are playing down reports a group of conservative Liberal MPs, calling themselves "the deplorables", sought to undermine Malcolm Turnbull after last year's close election.
The Australian reported on Monday that the group of MPs held regular phone hook-ups which were instigated by former prime minister Tony Abbott and one his strongest supporters Senator Eric Abetz.
The Australian named other MPs involved as Kevin Andrews, Michael Sukker, Rick Wilson, Andrew Hastie, Zed Seselja, Ian Goodenough, Cory Bernardi, Nicolle Flint, Jonathon Duniam, Craig Kelly, Scott Buchholz and Tony Pasin.
According to the report, junior MPs were directed to use the media to pressure the Turnbull government on issues such as Safe Schools and amending section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
They also sought to position conservative MPs for a fight over same-sex marriage if Mr Turnbull moved to a free vote once the plebiscite was defeated in parliament, arguing any change of policy would be a leadership issue.
The group also pushed for Mr Abbott's return to cabinet.
SBS News has spoken to one named MP who did not deny the existence of the group but insisted it was always a discussion about coordinating efforts on conservative policy positions, not the leadership.
"Never been a conversation to stitch up PM [Mr Turnbull]" the MP told SBS News.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann insists he knows nothing about the group or its activities.
"The people mentioned in that article are all good people, they're valued friends and colleagues," he told ABC radio.
"There's nothing wrong with discussing policy matters internally."
A veteran Liberal MP hopes Mr Abbott reflects on his time as prime minister as federal parliament resumes in Canberra.
"I would suggest that Mr Abbott reflect on his own period as prime minister before he starts throwing mud at other colleagues. He was actually given a lifeline and he gave himself six months probation and he failed," backbencher Warren Entsch told reporters as he arrived at Canberra airport.
Cabinet minister Simon Birmingham said continuing internal criticism of the government was taking away from the good things it was doing.
"We want every single member pulling in the same direction, supporting the case for the reforms the government is trying to implement right now," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce warned his colleagues about the consequences of internal dissent.
"I think the Labor party don't look fondly on the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd period," he told reporters at Parliament House.
"I think the lesson in politics is don't repeat it."
Labor MP Mick Keogh said "the deplorables" were no longer a clandestine group inside the government.
"The real deplorable thing here is how this government is focused on itself, focused on division, focused on matters of leadership within the Liberal Party instead of the things that really matter to the Australian people," he told reporters.
Liberal MP Andrew Laming said he would love to meet "the deplorables" and was envious at missing out.
But he also said Mr Abbott had gone too far with his critique of the government.
"Once you go on a speaking tour, once you start seeking out friendly right wing TV, once you start flogging your view basically against the minister of the day, that's where it crosses the line," he told reporters.
His advice to the former prime minister is: "Keep writing and do less news media calls flogging your ideas."
WATCH: Australia-Indonesia relationship back on track
RELATED READING
Hanson dumps One Nation WA candidates
- with AAP
Share
