New Aussie PM offers former leader a new job, but Abbott isn't so sure

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Photo / AP file

New Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has offered former leader Tony Abbott a new role as special envoy to the PM in indigenous affairs — but whether he accepts it is another question.

It was part of Morrison's olive branch attempt to appease those who took down Malcolm Turnbull last week, and begin mending the party's wounds.

But speaking outside his Sydney home this morning, Abbott said it's "not exactly clear what he's offering".

"I obviously had a chat to the new Prime Minister yesterday, and as you know, I've been working hard in indigenous affairs for a long, long time, before I became prime minister, after I became prime minister," he told Nine News.

Abbott's spokesman told the Daily Telegraph he is "worried about something that is a title without a role", saying he would consider the proposal but "needed to know the precise terms of what was being proposed, as it's not clear how any such role would interact with the minister and all the other bodies in this space".

Abbott threw his support behind Morrison and Liberal Deputy Leader Josh Frydenberg, saying their leadership marked an "important reset" for the Government.

But Morrison could not restore the former prime minister to Cabinet, despite hints he might have been promoted under a Dutton government.

Morrison, 50, is seeking to unite the Government ahead of elections due by next May. He named Marise Payne to replace Julie Bishop as Foreign Minister and promoted Christopher Pyne to oversee defence. Mathias Cormann will stay in his role as Minister for Finance and Dutton retained a reduced home affairs portfolio.

The Coalition now trails the Labor party by a 12-point margin, 44 per cent to 56 per cent, compared with a two-point gap this month, according to the Newspoll published in the Australian.

Labor leader Bill Shorten is now seen as the preferred prime minister for the first time since February 2015.

There are growing calls for the Liberal Party to change the rules to make it more difficult to bring on a spill.

Keep your friends close, keep your enemies....New #Australian PM Scott Morrison retains ruling party rivals in his "stability" cabinet
https://t.co/x61qewxQsg @bpolitics @ScottMorrisonMP #AusPol @PeterDutton_MP @MathiasCormann #libspill pic.twitter.com/KxAnCxokUf

— Rosalind Mathieson (@RosMathieson) August 26, 2018

Nick Greiner, the federal Liberal president, suggested the party would benefit from doing so. "I'm not opposed to that idea, I think it's an obvious directional thing," he told Sky News.

"I don't think it's on the top of Morrison's list, nor should it be, but I think the organisation, not surprisingly, would be happy with some sort of model.

"There are already members of the parliamentary party advocating it and Mr Morrison does not have a tin ear, but yes certainly I think it's something that ought to be on the agenda."

But former Liberal leader John Howard has rejected such calls.

"I don't think changing the rules is a good idea," he said, according to Fairfax Media. "What's the point of bringing in rules if, in any event, they can be set aside?"

Ironically enough, Howard was the last Australian prime minister to serve a full term. That was over 10 years ago.

- additional reporting Bloomberg