Scott Morrison's ability to lead the Coalition has been called into question by crossbenchers days after he faced damning criticism by outgoing Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.
Independent MP Zali Steggall said if the upcoming federal election resulted in a hung parliament, she would be more likely to support the Coalition if there was a change in leadership.
"I do have grave concerns in relation to Scott Morrison’s leadership," she said on the ABC’s Q+A on Thursday.
"I know there are deep concerns within my community about some of the things that have occurred," said Ms Steggall, who defeated former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott in 2019 to win the seat of Warringah in Sydney.
When asked if a different leader of the Liberal party would make it easier for her to back the Coalition in the event of a hung parliament, she said: "That is absolutely an open possibility."
While Ms Steggall said all her "experiences with the prime minister have been professional", she raised concerns about the culture in parliament Mr Morrison presides over.
"Coming into parliament, I have been shocked by the conduct I’ve seen in the chamber, in the House of Representatives,” she said.
"The slouching, the turning your back to people speaking to you. I think there's images of the prime minister making fun and turning his back to the debate … I think it is disrespectful."
Ms Steggall’s comments come just days after an explosive speech by Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells where she labelled the prime minister an "autocrat and bully who has no moral compass".
The Liberal senator, who failed to secure a winnable spot on the Liberal party’s NSW Senate ticket, said Mr Morrison was "not fit to be prime minister", claiming he had "destroyed the Liberal party" through recent interventions in NSW branch preselections.
"In my public life, I have met ruthless people. Morrison tops the list," she told the Senate barely an hour after .
“Morrison is not interested in rules-based order. It is his way or the highway. An autocrat, a bully who has no moral compass,” Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.
Independent Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie, who was also on the ABC’s Q+A panel, supported Senator Fierravanti-Wells comments.
“The truth of the matter is that Connie Fierravanti-Wells got done over,” Senator Lambie said.
“She’s one of the best performers up there because she speaks her mind, because she stands up as a woman [and] for that, she is punished,” she said.
When asked if she’s had similar experiences with the prime minister, .
“It was like dealing with a two-year-old on a temper tantrum. It was either his way or the highway but I refused to move and I refused to budge,” Senator Lambie said.
Senator Lambie’s comments to the ABC came a day after she accused the prime minister of being an “intimidating bully”.
“Scott Morrison is a bully – he is an intimidating bully – there is no doubt about that,” she told reporters on Wednesday.
“If you’re not sitting there like he’s a messiah, you’re in the outer. it’s that simple,” she said.
In a press conference on Friday morning, Mr Morrison was asked: "Zali Steggall said she was likely to support a hung parliament if you are not leader. Would you step aside if that happened?”
The prime minister did not respond directly to the question if he would step aside, but defended his record in office.
“I am leading a government and a Liberal-National team is putting itself forward for re-election in its own right,” he said.
“[It’s up to the] people of Australia to make this choice about who should lead the country and key [to that are] economic security and national security,” Mr Morrison said.
