Tony Abbott has channelled Barack Obama in a bid to energise the coalition, telling his team that "Yes We Can" win the next federal election.
Since Mr Abbott seized the leadership last December, the coalition has made some headway in the opinion polls, closing the gap on Labor and finding support for its direct action climate change policy.
Mr Abbott told a joint party room meeting the key was to keep the focus on the Labor Party.
"We meet in circumstances even more favourable than ... last week," he is understood to have told the meeting.
"Yes we can ... win if we concentrate on the ALP."
Mr Abbott told MPs and senators it was important to work as a team, highlighting the need for respect, decency and collegiality.
Border protection issue
But there were signs of some tension following the coalition's shift to the right under Mr Abbott.
One MP questioned whether the backbench was being appropriately consulted on the coalition's border protection policy.
The concern is believed to relate to suggestions the coalition may be planning to reintroduce an offshore border protection policy similar to the Howard government's Pacific Solution.
Mr Abbott reassured the party room that the coalition's position hadn't changed, telling it that no decision had been made to re-embrace the Pacific Solution.
Any changes would go to the joint party room, he promised.
Rudd touts economy
Mr Abbott might believe he has got the government's measure but Kevin Rudd told his caucus that the economy was a Labor strength that the coalition could not match.
"The economy is our strength," Mr Rudd told the party room.
The government wanted to continue growing the economy to protect jobs and working families.
Following on from the government attack in question time on Monday, Mr Rudd told caucus Mr Abbott and his finance spokesman Barnaby Joyce were a risk to the economy, highlighting their unfunded climate change policy.
The prime minister welcomed the political debate on health.
"This a traditional strength for Labor and will continue to be so," he told MPs and senators.
The coalition is focusing on Labor's broken election promises, especially its pledge to fix public hospitals.
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