Australian prime minister faces internal challenge to leadership next week
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Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's leadership was under growing threat on Friday with an official confirming a leadership ballot next week.
Lawmaker Luke Simpkins said in an email to colleagues he will move a motion at a ruling Liberal Party meeting on Tuesday calling for Abbott to declare that his job and that of his deputy Julie Bishop are open to a ballot of 102 government lawmakers.
It is not yet clear whether any lawmaker will be nominated to run against Abbott or his foreign minister.
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The party's chief whip Philip Ruddock later confirmed that the ballots would go ahead at Tuesday's meeting.
Half-way through his first three-year term as prime minister, Abbott had been under increasing pressure over poor showings in opinion polls.