SBS World News understands that Mr Turnbull is considering an early election to maximise options, but he is believed to still favour a poll later in the year.
The latest Newspoll shows seven out of ten voters do not want an early election, while Australians are split on whether Tony Abbott should retire.
Most Australians think Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should wait until later in the year to send the nation to the polls, but are divided about whether Tony Abbott should retire.
The latest Newspoll, published in The Australian on Tuesday, shows 46 per cent of voters want the former prime minister to remain as a member of cabinet or on the backbench. Forty-five per cent think he should retire instead of recontesting his northern Sydney seat of Warringah.
Only 21 per cent of voters support an early election, while 71 per cent want the coalition to serve its full term and instead hold the election later in the year.
Results from the same poll show the federal coalition is maintaining its two-party preferred lead over Labor, 53 per cent to 47 per cent.
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