With Tony Abbott "doing an Abbott" and putting his colleagues and the country offside with his decision-making, MPs are mulling other options for the leadership.

On the face of it, it seems as though the party is spoilt for choice.

Unlike the Labor days when the leadership flicked between option A and option B - and back to option A again - there is a smorgasbord of potential candidates.

But is everything as great as it seems? After all, no one has put their hand up. And no one is firming as the preferred alternative.

Interestingly (confusingly, bizarrely), some MPs have been telling Fairfax Media that they do not have a preference between Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

One explanation for the indecision is that there are serious questions about each of the possible leadership replacements.

1. Julie Bishop

The Foreign Minister has been the shiny star performer of the government's wonky first 16 months. Arguably, she has had a job that has taken her out of the trickier domestic fray, but she has not put a major foot wrong and won points for the way she handled the MH17 crisis.

The long-time deputy (to three Liberal leaders now) is also liked by her colleagues, who really appreciate the time she puts in to talk to them and listen to their concerns (unlike some people ...).

She is confident, she is tough, she has a sense of humour. And in case anyone was worried about the health of the Prime Minister, like Abbott she is a fitness fanatic.

BUT

Despite holding portfolios such as education and ageing in the Howard government, Bishop is not seen to be as strong on domestic issues, particularly economic ones. She had an unimpressive time of it in the shadow treasury portfolio under Turnbull's leadership.

In terms of the conservative wing of the conservatives, Bishop also runs the risk of being viewed as too "small l" liberal. She is a republican, after all.

As someone who has been so close to the senior leadership of the Abbott years, it is also reasonable to ask, how different would she be from the current leader?

2. Malcolm Turnbull

Ever since he lost the Liberal leadership to Abbott by one vote in 2009, there have been hopes that Turnbull would be back one day.

He has a broad range of experiences and successes outside Parliament, from journalism, to law and banking. And he's enjoyed a significant national profile since the early 1990s as the head of the Australian republican movement.

Turnbull is also super well-connected, very smart, very capable and by far the best speech maker in the Parliament.

And he consistently polls as the most popular alternative to Abbott.

BUT

Turnbull is very popular among Labor voters. On his own side, he struggles.

People still remember his disastrous leadership of the Liberal Party from 2008-09. Colleagues have not forgotten that he did not treat them very nicely and some swear they will not go back there again.

If you're a big fan of same-sex marriage and ditching the Queen and climate action, just remember that Turnbull would still be constrained by what his party will allow him to do.

3. Scott Morrison

As Immigration Minister, Morrison oversaw one of the government's legitimate successes in its short, rocky ride so far.

Morrison may have fronted many an unintelligible press conferences about "on water matters", but he gets an internal tick as the the man who headed up Operation Stop the Boats.

On his own side, people see him as an effective communicator who can deal with tough problems.

He's ambitious enough to have been sidelined by Abbott in the recent reshuffle with a move not to the glamour of the Defence Department but the hard yakka of Social Services.

BUT

Elected to Parliament in 2007, Morrison does not enjoy the public profile of Bishop and Turnbull. He also does not have a huge amount of experience, until the reshuffle, he had only ever had the one ministry.

In opinion polls, Morrison never features as a contender in the public's mind.

4. Joe Hockey

He was the main contender a year ago.

BUT

Then the budget, cigars, his book and "poor people don't drive" happened.

5. Mal Brough

Good one.

You are joking, aren't you?

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