Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg says the Prime Minister has the party room’s confidence and will lead the Coalition to the next election, despite the fact ministers are starting to resign from the frontbench.

The Prime Minister narrowly held on to the top job this morning and was just seven votes off losing the Liberal leadership to Peter Dutton.

After launching the challenge, Mr Dutton resigned as Home Affairs Minister and will now sit on the backbench.

The spill has caused other ministers to retreat from the Prime Minister, with junior ministers Michael Sukkar and James McGrath offering their resignations.

Minister Frydenberg is staying firmly in Malcolm Turnbull’s corner, saying the Prime Minister has the majority of his party’s support and will lead the Coalition to the next federal election.

“I strongly support the Prime Minister. As you know he won the last election. He helped deliver a million new jobs.

“He is delivering despite having a one-seat majority and he retains the confidence of the party room and he has my strong support.”

When asked whether a second leadership challenge is inevitable, Mr Frydenberg dodges answering.

He says it’s “certainly” his view that “Malcolm Turnbull should lead us to the next election”.

“I’m backing him and he will lead us.”

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