Smith and Sophie Mirabella; Victorian Senator Mitch Fifield; Queensland MHR Michael Johnson; Queensland Senator Brett Mason; South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi; Western Australian Senator Mathias Cormann and Judith Adams; and Tasmanian Senator David Bushby. Exhibiting his trade mark game show host smile, Mr Turnbull declared that he was ‘‘completely relaxed’’ as he strode from his electorate office on New South Head Road shortly after midday.

‘‘I am perfectly comfortable with my position,’’ he said. But he conceded that ‘‘party unity is a valuable thing’’. Beating a hasty retreat Mr Turnbull proceeded to jump the taxi queue in front of Edgecliff shopping centre, drawing a stream of abuse from a woman who had been waiting.

‘‘God I hate Turnbull. He’s such a bully,’’ said the woman who refused to be named.

ConcettaFierravanti-Wells, the shadow immigration parliamentary secretary, became the latest Liberal to desert Mr Turnbull's front bench. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the shadow immigration parliamentary secretary, became the latest Liberal to desert Mr Turnbull's front bench. In a statement, she said she had tendered her resignation, making her the 13th Liberal in the past three days to quit in protest at the party's position on an emissions trading scheme. Senator Fierravanti-Wells had been expected to back the ETS laws but has now indicated she will vote against the bill.

"I acknowledge the avalanche of correspondence and feedback conveyed to me from a wide cross-section of the community, most especially after the decision of the joint party room to amend and support the legislation," she said. Senator Fierravanti-Wells, who is facing a Senate