FUMBLING Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised yesterday that he would never again choose who gets a knighthood as he faced down a revolt from within his own party.

He also officially ditched his almost universally unpopular parental leave policy, pledging to break with his record and lead “the most consultative and the most collegial government this country has ever seen.”

The tory PM angered many within government ranks last week by making Prince Philip an Australian knight and he has been forced to concede that the Order of Australia Council should decide who was knighted from now on.

Mr Abbott was widely criticised for resurrecting the titles a year ago and bestowing a knighthood on the Duke of Edinburgh on Australia’s national day was seen as an insult to Australian citizens.

“I accept that I probably overdid it on awards,” he admitted.

Under the parental leave policy, women who earned up to 100,000 Australian dollars (£52,000) a year were paid their full salary for six months of maternity leave. 

Mr Abbot had described it as his signature policy but was widely seen as unfair to the poor and had virtually no support within government.

The furore over Prince Philip’s knighthood has been blamed in part for the likely loss by the right-wing government in Saturday’s elections in Queensland state.

The Labour Party appeared close to forming a state government in one of biggest political upsets in Australian history, as the Star went to press