Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott (C) participates in a ministerial meeting with Chinese counterparts at Parliament House in Canberra November 17, 2014. REUTERS/Rick Rycroft/Pool
SYDNEY (Reuters) - The embattled premier of Australia's Queensland state on Tuesday called a snap election amid fears that Prime Minister Tony Abbott's toxic poll numbers may be eroding his party's grip at the local level and endangering his political survival.
State governments do not choose the prime minister, but a string of losses in local contests can shake confidence in a leader, signalling a looming election loss or a party coup aimed at averting one.
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