Malcolm Turnbull says he knows many people would prefer he lead Australia's Liberal Party rather than Tony Abbott, but that they should vote for the party anyway.
He ruled out having a tilt at the leadership, despite polls showing he was far more popular than the Opposition leader as the Labor Government under Kevin Rudd closes the gap between the parties.
"There are a lot of people out there who would rather I was leading the Liberal Party; it is ridiculous to deny that that's not happening," he told the Nine Network. "If they think I am a person of capability and quality and so forth, they should be comforted by the fact that I am part of that team in a senior leadership position. So if you are a Malcolm Turnbull fan rather than a Tony Abbott fan ... I will be up the top table."
If Abbott were to be elected, it would not be as a president or dictator but first among equals in a traditional conventional Cabinet government, Turnbull said. He said there would be no leadership change before the federal election. Turnbull led the Liberals for more than 14 months before losing to Abbott by one vote in December 2009.
- AAP
