Abbott wins

The spill motion was defeated 39 to 61. That is not particularly decisive. It suggests two thirds of the backbench voted for a spill.

Tony Abbott remains Prime Minister, but in my view the clock is ticking. The latest poll has them a massive 14% behind Labor. Their next Budget has to be a game changer and they need to close the poll gap within the next six months, otherwise inevitably there will be another spill.

I was amused that Sky News got texted the result by an MP around a minute before the Chief Whip came out to announce the result!