Malcolm Turnbull may challenge Tony Abbott for the top job this week before the Canning by-election in Western Australia, which insiders suggest could make or break the prime minister's hold on the leadership.
Reports suggest the communications minister may move this week because a three-week recess will follow the Canning by-election next Saturday.
That would give Mr Abbott the chance to call a snap double dissolution, betting the government's fortunes on out-campaigning Opposition Leader Bill Shorten despite lagging in opinion polls and heading off a challenge.
Nine Network political editor Laurie Oakes says Mr Turnbull has refused requests from Abbott supporters to publicly rule out a challenge.
Oakes says government whip Andrew Nikolic sent a message to Mr Turnbull, reportedly at the request of Mr Abbott, and there was a request from another senior Abbott backer.
Mr Turnbull reportedly refused to respond publicly, saying that any leadership chatter only fuelled more speculation.
Mr Turnbull's office has been contacted for comment.
If a challenge does occur, it will be the second against Mr Abbott since February.
Mr Abbott won the last party room ballot by a single vote.
The Canning by-election has put new pressure on Mr Abbott's hold on the prime ministership.
Two polls, a News Corp Galaxy poll and a Fairfax/Ipsos poll, predicted a savage 10 per cent swing, two-party preferred, against the government on Saturday. The swing is not enough to unseat the Liberals in Canning, which is held with a 12 per cent margin, but strengthens the anti-Abbott push.
The ABC has reported several ministers believe Mr Abbott will be challenged regardless of the results of the Canning by-election.
"And this time I think they will get him," one minister said.
Mr Abbott, responding to an earlier News Corp report speculating on a major frontbench reshuffle, says he is more concerned about running the country than the latest leadership gossip.
"I'm concerned with good government," he told reporters in Perth on Sunday.
"That's what I'm preoccupied with every day, not insider Canberra gossip."
Senior government frontbencher Peter Dutton says Mr Abbott has strong support in the party room and that the coalition would win the next federal election, which will take place in about a year.
"I think when people start to focus on the alternative, which is what election campaigns are about, I believe we can defeat Labor," Mr Dutton told Sky News.
Another frontbencher, Scott Morrison, said he didn't know anything about a leadership challenge.
"I support the prime minister and everybody knows that, so I suspect that they're not talking to me," Mr Morrison told Network Ten.
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said it was "odds on" that the Liberals would change leaders.
But she didn't think switching the person in charge would change the coalition's fortunes.
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