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ABC Alice Springs Town Councillor and Country Liberals stalwart Eli Melky.

Clive Palmer is claiming another defection to his Palmer United Party from the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party (CLP), saying Braedon Earley has made an application to join the new NT branch of the PUP.

Mr Palmer said that Mr Earley, a former CLP president, had joined Eli Melky, the CLP deputy treasurer who resigned yesterday, in expressing his dissatisfaction with the party.

Three former Country Liberal MLAs - Alison Anderson, Larissa Lee and Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu - have already joined PUP after quitting the CLP and moving to the NT crossbench.

Mr Melky has not confirmed joining the PUP, although Mr Palmer said Mr Melky was on the PUP plane when it flew into Darwin on Sunday.

Mr Palmer today said that applications by the two ex-CLP politicians to join PUP reflected dissatisfaction with the ruling party.

"Very significant that the former president and the existing deputy treasurer of the Liberal Country leaves," he said.

"It indicates how bad the organisation is that it doesn't really care about all Territorians."

Mr Melky, an Alice Springs town councillor and CLP stalwart, said while he had always been a supporter of Ms Anderson and would continue to support her, that did not mean he was getting on board with Mr Palmer.

"To deny such a thing - the cynics would be laughing at it - and to acknowledge it would be just simply inaccurate and simply not true," he said.

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NT councillor Eli Melky denies he's the next recruit for the Palmer United Party

ABC Alice Springs Town Councillor and Country Liberals stalwart Eli Melky.

Clive Palmer is claiming another defection to his Palmer United Party from the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party (CLP), saying Braedon Earley has made an application to join the new NT branch of the PUP.

Mr Palmer said that Mr Earley, a former CLP president, had joined Eli Melky, the CLP deputy treasurer who resigned yesterday, in expressing his dissatisfaction with the party.

Three former Country Liberal MLAs - Alison Anderson, Larissa Lee and Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu - have already joined PUP after quitting the CLP and moving to the NT crossbench.

Mr Melky has not confirmed joining the PUP, although Mr Palmer said Mr Melky was on the PUP plane when it flew into Darwin on Sunday.

Mr Palmer today said that applications by the two ex-CLP politicians to join PUP reflected dissatisfaction with the ruling party.

"Very significant that the former president and the existing deputy treasurer of the Liberal Country leaves," he said.

"It indicates how bad the organisation is that it doesn't really care about all Territorians."

Mr Melky, an Alice Springs town councillor and CLP stalwart, said while he had always been a supporter of Ms Anderson and would continue to support her, that did not mean he was getting on board with Mr Palmer.

"To deny such a thing - the cynics would be laughing at it - and to acknowledge it would be just simply inaccurate and simply not true," he said.

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NT Country Liberal councillor Eli Melky denies he's Palmer United Party's next recruit

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The government backbench is voicing concern about policy in the lead up to the budget. Analysis with Chris Hammer and Mark Kenny.

Senior Liberals have described plans for a possible deficit tax in the budget as "electoral suicide".Some talked of a party-room revolt and one warned the Prime Minister Tony Abbott would wear the broken promise as "a crown of thorns" if the government decided to go through with it.

The figure, part ofMr Abbott's ministerial team, spoke on condition of anonymity, arguing the suggestion of a tax was one that could come to "haunt"Mr Abbott's entire prime ministership.

Tough sell: Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaking to Neil Mitchell on Fairfax radio in Melbourne. Photo: Penny Stephens

"I worry that this is Tony's Gillard moment, when she announced the carbon tax," said the senior Liberal.

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Several other Liberals also expressed dismay at the prospect of a government, elected to restore trust to politics, overturning a "crystal-clear" policy commitment of no new taxes, in its first budget.

Incredulous Liberals contacted by Fairfax Media said they had been given nothing to tell voters who were beginning to call electorate offices to complain.

A Gillard moment: Senior Liberals are worried that Tony Abbott's deficit tax could spell disaster for the government. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

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New tax is 'electoral suicide': Libs

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The government backbench is voicing concern about policy in the lead up to the budget. Analysis with Chris Hammer and Mark Kenny.

Senior Liberals have described plans for a possible deficit tax in the budget as "electoral suicide".Some talked of a party-room revolt and one warned the Prime Minister Tony Abbott would wear the broken promise as "a crown of thorns" if the government decided to go through with it.

The figure, part ofMr Abbott's ministerial team, spoke on condition of anonymity, arguing the suggestion of a tax was one that could come to "haunt"Mr Abbott's entire prime ministership.

Tough sell: Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaking to Neil Mitchell on Fairfax radio in Melbourne. Photo: Penny Stephens

"I worry that this is Tony's Gillard moment, when she announced the carbon tax," said the senior Liberal.

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Several other Liberals also expressed dismay at the prospect of a government, elected to restore trust to politics, overturning a "crystal-clear" policy commitment of no new taxes, in its first budget.

Incredulous Liberals contacted by Fairfax Media said they had been given nothing to tell voters who were beginning to call electorate offices to complain.

A Gillard moment: Senior Liberals are worried that Tony Abbott's deficit tax could spell disaster for the government. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

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Deficit tax 'electoral suicide'

Analysis

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Youd think a Liberal party room meeting at the start of a crucial parliamentary sitting week in an election year might focus on the big questions confronting the government.

Things like: how to recapture the political high ground; how to wedge Labor; whether opinion polls matter eight months out from an election; how best to allocate scarce resources.

The fact the Liberal Party spent the best part of an hour on Tuesday morning talking about itself is a very worrying sign indeed for Denis Napthine.

The party is starting to bicker. The danger is this develops into open hostility which can quickly become a downward spiral. Just ask the federal Labor Party.

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There are tensions along several fault lines. Old factional wounds have been reopened between progressive and conservative elements of the party. There are tensions as key players jockey for place as Napthines heir apparent and there are tensions between state and federal Liberals.

If Victorian Liberal president Tony Snell was expecting an easy run when he addressed the party room on Tuesday morning, he was sorely mistaken. Snell was asked by Napthine to simply address the party on the process for upper house pre-selections.

What he got was a barrage of angry questions, highlighting the extent of the tensions dogging the party. Former Premier Ted Baillieu arced up, asking whether federal MPs will be told to ''stay out'' of future preselection brawls.

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Liberals risk downward spiral