Leadership tensions stir once more in Australian politics as Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull clash

An uncivil war has broken out in Australia’s ruling Liberal Party between Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his predecessor, Tony Abbott, who may be positioning himself for another tilt at leadership.

On Thursday, Abbott unveiled a sweeping conservative manifesto for the next federal election, declaring the Coalition needs to cut immigration, slash the renewable energy target, abolish the Human Rights Commission, and gut the capacity of the Senate to be a roadblock to the government’s agenda.

He warned the government wouldn’t win the next election unless it wins back the conservative base, and failing to adopt conservative policies could justify voters opting for the insurgent One Nation over the Coalition – the partnership between the Liberals and the National Party.

“Our challenge is to be worth voting for,” Abbott said. “It’s to win back the people who are giving up on us.”

Abbott was prime minister for just under two years, from September 2013 to September 2015, having led the Coalition to victory over Labor, led by Kevin Rudd, at the 2013 federal election. However, after his popularity slumped, he was successfully challenged by Turnbull for the leadership of the Liberal Party.

Abbott has remained in parliament, though, and his latest intervention has fuelled speculation he may yet bid to wrest back the leadership of the party from Turnbull before the next election, scheduled to be held some time between August 2018 and May 2019.

Senior cabinet ministers, however, lined up to reject Abbott’s conservative manifesto and gloomy assessment of the government’s fortunes, with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann labelling it a “self-indulgent” and “deliberately destructive” intervention.