Prime Minister Tony Abbott faced a "cavalcade of complaints" in Tuesday's Liberal party room meeting, including repeated questioning from WA MP Don Randall about why former chief government whip Philip Ruddock was axed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Abbott was also confronted by South Australian MPs Andrew Southcott and Rowan Ramsey about the future submarine project, with Mr Ramsey warning the Prime Minister he would be breaking an election promise "if the hulls aren't welded" in South Australia.
And Liberal MPs Craig Laundy and Andrew Laming raised concerns about the attack on the Human Rights Commission President Gillian Triggs and the issue of children in detention.
Treasurer Joe Hockey also briefed MPs that a discussion paper on foreign investment would be released shortly for public consultation.
But no MPs raised the leaking of two extraordinary emails that were sent to members of the federal Liberal Party executive over the weekend by federal treasurer Phil Higginson, who wrote of being "overwhelmed by the sheer vitriol" within the party at present and his unease at seeing his "good friend" Mr Abbott being "brought down this way".
Fairfax Media has been told by several MPs in the room, all of whom asked not to be named, that Mr Randall - the WA MP who seconded the spill motion against Mr Abbott just over a fortnight ago - repeatedly questioned the Prime Minister about Mr Ruddock's sacking.
One MP described the meeting as a "cavalcade of complaints" about the issues confronting the government, though another described it as a regular, robust party room meeting.
A third MP said it was an "ugly moment" as Mr Randall pressed the Prime Minister on what Mr Ruddock had done wrong.
Mr Abbott, in response, praised Mr Ruddock as a party elder but after repeated questions eventually said that there had to be renewal in the party.
Both Dr Southcott and Mr Ramsey raised the confusion over the tender for the next generation submarine, a hot political issue in South Australia.
In response, Defence Minister Kevin Andrews stressed that South Australia was now, as one MP put it, "in the game" to work on the project.
And on the Human Rights Commission, Mr Laundy questioned some government MPs' criticism of Professor Triggs over the timing of a report into children in detention, arguing that instead the government should be highlighting the success of its policy in stopping the boats, which had effectively reduced the number of children in detention.
Dr Laming raised concerns about feedback he had received from the community about the government needing to be seen to be doing the right thing by children in detention.
In response Mr Abbott said that, in the words of one MP in the room, "when we are being stitched up, we have to call it out".
After the meeting, Mr Ramsey confirmed to Sky News that he had told the party room that the "public perception is that if the hulls aren't welded up there [in South Australia], they will see it as a lost committment".
"I do think the government is in the right position at the moment."
Comment has been sought from Dr Laming, Mr Laundy, Dr Southcott and Mr Randall.
