61-39: #LibSpill fails and Tony Abbott hangs on

Prime Minister Tony Abbott emerges from the leadership spill vote, with Bruce Billson to his right

Tony Abbott has survived as Australia’s prime minister after a spill motion against him was defeated this morning by 61 votes to 39.

Abbott did not hold a press conference after the vote and instead made a very short televised statement saying the Liberal Party had dealt with the spill and “now the matter is behind us”.

“We want to end the disunity and the uncertainty which destroyed two Labor governments and give you the good government that you deserve,” Abbott said.

“When you elect a government, when you elect a prime minister, you deserve to keep that government and that prime minister until you have a chance to change your mind.”

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten issued a statement saying Abbott promised he would run a stable and united government.

“This is his biggest broken promise yet,” he says.

“The Liberal government is in paralysis – and Australian families and the Australian economy are paying the price for its chaos.”

Minister for Small Business, Bruce Billson, flanked Abbott as he left the party room and was one of the key cabinet members to voice his support for the Prime Minister ahead of the vote this morning.

Billson told SmartCompany the Liberal Party has confirmed its confidence in Abbott and in Julie Bishop as his deputy.

“Now it is back to business and back to implementing our economic strategy and for me working on the small business package for the budget,” Billson says.

The Council of Small Business of Australia and the Australian Retailers Association have both warned the continued leadership instability is affecting business confidence. 

Billson says he and the other Liberal Party members are aware of these concerns.

“That is why it was so important to clear the air, get this behind us and get to work on the issues our country faces,” he says.

“The business community has made it clear they want us to get on with our program and get back to work and do what needs to be done to energize enterprise.”

Billson says this is the end of the leadership challenges. 

“It’s the end of it for me and it’s certainly the end of it in the mood of the meeting,” he says.

“It was a clear affirmation of the Prime Minister… the Prime Minister conceded some mistakes had been made and outlined a revised approach and a call for all of us to bring our best efforts to governing to bring a strong and prosperous economy. That seemed to resonate very strongly with all my colleagues and it is at the heart of my thinking.”

Billson says the mood in the party room was supportive of Abbott and he is “encouraged” by the response of his colleagues to the Prime Minister.