A new Fairfax-Ipsos opinion poll shows 71 per cent of voters and 80 per cent of Coalition voters think elected prime ministers should be allowed to govern for a full term, rather than being dumped in the lead-up to an election.
The finding comes as the parliament heads into the final sitting week before Christmas, with the government planning to pass same-sex marriage and implement a disclosure system to end the dual-citizenship saga.
Last week, backbench Coalition MP George Christensen admitted he was the MP secretly planning to quit the government – which only has a one-seat majority in the Lower House – if Malcolm Turnbull was not replaced as prime minister.
Mr Christensen now says he changed his mind after Mr Turnbull announced a Royal Commission into the banks, which Mr Christensen and some fellow Nationals had been advocating.
Fellow Nationals MP Darren Chester said he was “not surprised by the poll”.
“I back my leader Barnaby Joyce extremely strongly and I back Malcolm Turnbull also,” Mr Chester told ABC TV on Monday morning.
He said he did not want to “run a commentary” on his colleague, but said he would “have a private chat” with George Christensen this week.
“In the spirit of Christmas, I think we should forgive him,” he said.
Every recent Australian prime minister – Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, have been replaced as leader without completing their first term.
The Ipsos poll also shows Labor continues to lead the Coalition 53 – 47 on two-party preferred.
A Newspoll also released today found the same 53-47 result, but Mr Turnbull remains the preferred prime minister over Labor leader Bill Shorten.
