A bevy of senior ministers has hit the airwaves to back Malcolm Turnbull and call for discipline after the government, as expected, chalked up its 30th negative successive Newspoll.Tony Abbott and Liberals loyal to him have used the occasion to make mischief. Mr Abbott has stepped up his call for the increased use of coal-fired power and for the immigration rate to be cut. He told radio 2GB that as well as building new coal fired power stations, the government should consider compulsorily acquiring the Liddell power station if operator AGL refused to sell it or keep it running for a few more years.”This is a essential service ,” said Mr Abbott, who last year suggested the military seize control of the ageing coal-fired power station.”There has been a lot of jawboning, perhaps it is time for strongarming.”If a company is threatening a essential service, it is up to the government to take appropriate action.”He said AGL chief executive officer was more interested in inflating his bonus and company profits than the public interest. Tasmanian Liberal Senator and Abbott loyalist Eric Abetz called for Australia to dump its commitment to the Paris climate change targets,In findings which mirror those of the Fairfax/Ipsos poll published Saturday, the Newspoll shows Labor leading the Coalition by 52 per cent to 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, based on how preference flowed at the 2016 election.Mr Turnbull cited 30 negative Newspolls as one of the reasons for moving against Mr Abbott in 2015.
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