New federal Liberal Party president Nick Greiner plans to take Tony Abbott aside to urge him to stop stirring dissent in the Turnbull government. <\/p>\n
The former NSW premier says the party will lose the next election if it doesn't present a unified face to the Australian public, which has watched a month of infighting led by the former prime minister. <\/p>\n
\"It is as simple and as stark as that,\" Mr Greiner warned on Sunday., <\/p>\n
He told Sky News that while the government was talking about itself, Labor and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten were \"totally escaping scrutiny\". <\/p>\n
He said he planned to talk to Mr Abbott, who has been particularly vocal about the direction of the government, in the next week or so. <\/p>\n
\"I think we have got to be adults about it,\" he said. <\/p>\n
\"I think everyone understands a prime minister who loses his position in the way it happened has all sorts of human emotions and has responded in a particular way which is very open and public.\" <\/p>\n
He concedes he doesn't have an answer, and even if he did, he has neither the power nor the capacity to implement it. <\/p>\n
\"This is for the parliamentary party,\" he said. <\/p>\n
Nationals Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has expressed his frustration over the constant infighting of the Liberals, the senior partner of the governing coalition. <\/p>\n
Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop can understand such frustration when the government should be focusing on the legislation it is getting through the Senate and the policies it is implementing. <\/p>\n
\"We are getting on with some very significant reforms,\" she told ABC television. <\/p>\n
\"And I agree with Barnaby Joyce, that's what we should be focusing on.\" <\/p>\n
She can't understand why people from her own side would criticise the government's performance because all it does is drive people to Labor. <\/p>\n
\"And if Bill Shorten, by accident, becomes prime minister of this country, I think it would be very dangerous.\" <\/p>\n
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Unite or face defeat: Liberal president - NEWS.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New federal Liberal Party president Nick Greiner plans to take Tony Abbott aside to urge him to stop stirring dissent in the Turnbull government. The former NSW premier says the party will lose the next election if it doesn't present a unified face to the Australian public, which has watched a month of infighting led by the former prime minister Continue reading