John Howard says history shows Labor's primary vote is too low to win the next election, as another key Liberal calls for an end to "lazy" infighting.
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The former prime minister told a Liberal federal council event the polls showed Labor wasn't in the strong position that oppositions had in 1996, 2007 and 2013.
"On each of those occasions the primary vote of the winning party was in the middle 40s for a consistent period of six or 12 months before the election," Mr Howard set on Saturday.
"The Labor primary vote has been stuck below 40 per cent for a very long time.
"That is a salutary reminder, although there may be irritation and disappointment with us, there is no enthusiasm for the replacement."
Party president Nick Greiner also used a speech on Friday to tell Liberals to lock in behind Malcolm Turnbull, who he and Mr Howard said could win the next election.
"We've occasionally been a bit lazy and self-indulgent when we give our own internal tiffs, our internal arguments, priority over the wellbeing of our party overall," Mr Greiner told the council on Friday.
The party members voted for a motion calling on the government to privatise the ABC except in regional areas, although Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said there were no plans to sell the national broadcaster.
A small majority of members also voted for Australia to move its Israel embassy to Jerusalem, but Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said that was also not going to happen.
Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman told the room full of Liberal powerbrokers he would not accept any cut in his state's GST share after his government turned Tasmania's finances around.
"It would be fundamentally unfair to now penalise Tasmania because other states have not been able to do so," Mr Hodgman said on Saturday.
"Tasmania deserves its fair share of the GST, and we will fight any government from anywhere who threatens that."
Mr Turnbull is due to address the council on Saturday.
The party members also heard of the need to recruit mor embers and improve fundraising, as the Liberals lagged behind Labor in terms of spending.
The coalition's election campaign is also set to focus on Labor's border security and tax plans, with negative advertising aimed at leader Bill Shorten.
Australian Associated Press
