Abbott channels Obama in Coalition pep talk
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'Yes we can': Tony Abbott has told his Coalition colleagues they can win the next election. (AAP)
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has borrowed Barack Obama's famous line "yes we can" to rally his colleagues ahead of the next election.
Mr Abbott has told Coalition MPs the Opposition can win the next election if it stays disciplined and keeps the focus on the Government.
"This is our second party room meeting of the year. We meet under even better circumstances than we did last week - yes, we can win," he said.
"Go out there, sell the message, respect your colleagues, but train your fire on the other side and we can win this election."
Mr Abbott's comments were met with a hearty "hear hear" from many MPs in the room.
In a media conference later in the day, Mr Abbott denied he was "overconfident".
"It would be the first time in well over 70 years that a first-term government has been defeated but maybe history is going to be made," he said.
Mr Abbott has been buoyed by a recent opinion poll which shows the Coalition is gaining ground against the Government after a horror end to last year which saw the Liberals split over climate change.
Parliamentary debate has been aggressive on both sides this week as pre-election arguments shape up.
Mr Abbott has accused Mr Rudd of being "weak and tricky" and of breaking election promises.
The Government, meanwhile, has set out to demolish the Opposition's economic credibility by attacking finance spokesman Barnaby Joyce.
In Question Time today Mr Abbott continued his attack on the cost of emissions trading scheme to households and businesses.
But the Government seized on new comments by Senator Joyce that Australia was close to defaulting on its debts with Mr Rudd calling on him to be sacked.
"If he has any courage whatsoever, dismiss him today," he said.
"The decision of [Mr Abbott] in the first place to appoint Barnaby Joyce as shadow finance minister will cause the nation to still scratch their head about what possible process of judgment could have been applied to that appointment on day one."
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