By Jill Fraser
MELBOURNE
Australia's beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott is to face another challenge to his leadership later Monday -- just seven months after he survived a previous internal Liberal Party challenge.
Senior cabinet minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters Monday afternoon that he had proposed the vote as it had become clear that Abbott "has not been capable of providing the economic leadership our nation needs".
Poll after poll had shown "the people have made up their mind about Mr. Abbott's leadership," Turnbull - the party's ex-communications minister - said.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the announcement had followed Deputy Liberal Leader Julie Bishop calling on Abbott to advise him that he no longer enjoyed her confidence, and Turnbull then visiting the prime minister to seek a leadership ballot.
Later, Abbot told reporters that a party room ballot "for both the leadership and deputy leadership" would take place Monday evening.
"I will be a candidate and I expect to win," he added.
In a prepared statement, Turnbull - a former lawyer and merchant banker - accused the government of not being successful in providing good economic leadership.
"It is not the fault of individual ministers. Ultimately, the prime minister has not been capable of providing the economic leadership our nation needs," he said.
"We need a different style of leadership. We need a style of leadership that explains those [economic] challenges and opportunities, explains the challenges and how to seize the opportunities. A style of leadership that respects the people's intelligence, that explains these complex issues and then sets out the course of action we believe we should take and makes a case for it."
Turnbull stated that the country needed "advocacy, not slogans".
"We need to respect the intelligence of the Australian people."
The ballot brings to a head months of poor opinion poll showings and internal division within the Liberal Party.
In February, Abbott headed off a leadership spill, but has since failed to turn around the government's fortunes.
The spill was defeated 61 votes to 39.
