A former deputy prime minister is urging his coalition colleagues to give Sussan Ley a fair go with speculation her days as federal opposition leader may be numbered.
Ms Ley has batted away suggestions she should be worried for her job after two of her leadership rivals, who are pushing for net-zero policies to be dumped, were seen dining together.
Former Nationals leader Michael McCormack said Ms Ley hadn't been given clear air since taking on the top job after the coalition's disastrous election defeat.
"She hasn't had any clear air in the five or six months she's been leader," he told Sky News.
"She's the first female leader of the Liberal party in 81 years and the first female opposition leader ever.
"She needs to be given clear air, given a chance."
Internal division over the coalition's energy policy has been supercharged after the Nationals announced they were abandoning any commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The move, followed by a dire poll revealing support for the Liberals had hit historic lows, has prompted fevered speculation about Ms Ley's leadership.
Rival conservative Liberals Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie, who both have ambitions for Ms Ley's job, were seen having dinner with a group of colleagues on Tuesday night in Canberra.
Mr Taylor joked he loved a green curry with a bit of spice, but played down the gathering and said Ms Ley's position was safe.
"I think she's going to continue on ... and take us to the next election," he told Sky News.
Ms Ley said she was "completely confident" her job was secure.
"Can I just say people are actually quite chummy across my party … and actually sometimes do catch up in Canberra sitting week for dinner," she told Nine's Today program during a morning media blitz on Wednesday.
Ms Ley said she had never supported "net-zero at any cost" when asked if she was prepared to ditch the emission-reduction goal for 2050 in a bid to save her leadership.
"There are a lot of different opinions in our party room," she told ABC TV.
"I said I wouldn't make captains' calls. I'm doing exactly what I said I would do."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used question time to have a crack at the ongoing divisions within the Liberal and National parties over energy.
He suggested coalition MPs could answer a "multiple choice question" about their energy policy during their next party room meeting.
"Although the next party room meeting might be focused on something else," he said, referencing the ongoing leadership speculation.
But tensions boiled over when Treasurer Jim Chalmers accused Ms Ley of pushing an "egregious lie" about levels of government spending, prompting manager of opposition business Alex Hawke to hit back.
"You are hopeless and a liar," he shot back across the chamber at Dr Chalmers.
Both men were forced to withdraw their remarks.
