SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott faces a do-or-die confidence vote on his leadership Monday after just 17 months in power as a new poll showed his popularity has plunged further.
Abbott has been fighting for his job after poor ratings and a series of policy backflips spurred some MPs from his conservative Liberal Party openly to attack him, calling for a leadership "spill" last week.
The motion at 9:00 am (2200 GMT Sunday) aims to declare vacant the positions of party leader and deputy leader -- currently occupied by Abbott and Deputy Prime Minister Julie Bishop -- so the party room, or members of both houses of parliament, can vote for new candidates.
The vote of 101 Liberal parliamentarians -- one is absent -- will be conducted by secret ballot with a clear majority of 51 winning the day.
Media reports said it was too close to call although Sky News estimated that Abbott should secure votes in the high 50s, which would see him continue as prime minister.
Abbott woke to a dire Newspoll in The Australian broadsheet.
It showed the ruling Liberal-National coalition now trails the Labor opposition on a two-party basis 43 percent to 57 percent while 68 percent of the 1,178 people interviewed were dissatisfied with Abbott's performance.
Abbott's popularity lags far behind potential leadership contenders, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Bishop, although neither of them have formally stated they will put their hand up as an alternative leader if the so-called spill succeeds.
In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation late Sunday, Abbott described having the motion brought against him as a "very chastening experience".
"I am determined that my government, if it continues, will learn from this experience, will be different and better this year than we were in every respect last year," he said.
Abbott declined to take questions when he arrived for a church service in Canberra on Monday, held for the start of the federal parliamentary year. Since being elected in September 2013, the government has sealed free trade deals with China, South Korea and Japan. It also killed off controversial carbon and mining taxes and sharply reduced the number of asylum-seeker boats arriving in Australia.
The government announced savings across the board to rein in a growing budget deficit, but critics have slammed measures to cut health and education spending while tightening welfare as too harsh.
Abbott's leadership has also been criticised for changed positions on several issues and for awarding Britain's Prince Philip a knighthood last month.
One of the backbenchers who initiated the confidence vote, Luke Simpkins, said he was confident the motion would succeed, while blaming Abbott for creating the situation.
"No one started this apart from, unfortunately, the prime minister himself," he told reporters late Sunday.
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