Liberal Party on Brink of Leadership Spill as Sussan Ley Faces Challenge
The Liberal Party is reportedly teetering on the edge of a significant leadership showdown this week, with allies of Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor said to be preparing a move to unseat Opposition Leader Sussan Ley. While the exact timing remains uncertain due to ongoing Senate estimates hearings, party insiders suggest a challenge could erupt at any point between Tuesday and Friday.
Sources within the party indicate that the push to oust Ley is being spearheaded by Shadow Finance Minister James Paterson, with the ultimate goal of positioning Taylor as a contender for the top job. This potential leadership bid follows a recent photograph of Paterson alongside Taylor and Canning MP Andrew Hastie. Hastie, it’s understood, has withdrawn from any leadership aspirations after failing to garner sufficient backing from his parliamentary colleagues.
Despite the internal rumblings and a reported slip in the party’s polling figures under her leadership, Ley publicly asserted on Monday that her position was secure. This assertion came in the wake of successfully reuniting the Coalition after a 17-day split with the Nationals. Speaking to Sky News, Ley stated, “My team elected me and I lead a team with determination and focus. I’m up for the job.”
A faction of moderate Liberals appears to remain largely supportive of Ley, arguing that further leadership instability would only exacerbate the party’s current difficulties and hasten its decline into irrelevance. However, critics of Ley’s leadership contend that the party’s situation is so dire that any change, regardless of who steps in, would be an improvement on the status quo.
Skeptics, however, have voiced concerns that Taylor may not be the transformative figure some are hoping for. They caution that the potential dumping of the Liberal Party’s first female leader could trigger a public backlash far exceeding the current internal dissent. Furthermore, some critics suggest that Taylor himself might not be able to “stick the landing” if he were to assume leadership, potentially leading to a further erosion of female support for the party.
Taylor himself has not shied away from acknowledging his leadership ambitions. Speaking on Friday, he admitted to having them but insisted he had no immediate plans to challenge Ley. “I’m not going to say to you and your listeners that I don’t have and haven’t had leadership ambitions. I clearly have had,” he told 2GB. “That’s why I ran for the leadership last time… Ambition is a good thing. But most of all, what we all want is a better Liberal Party and a better Coalition. We need that fast.”
Some moderate MPs believe that Ley should be afforded more time to demonstrate her ability to stabilise the party, perhaps even through a budget reply speech. Senior shadow ministers, including Tim Wilson, Andrew Wallace, and Alex Hawke, have publicly expressed their support for Ley.
In contrast, Liberal Senator Jane Hume publicly questioned Ley’s leadership on Monday, expressing grave concerns about the party’s direction. “This is disastrous for the Liberal Party. It’s disastrous for the Coalition. Unless something changes, we will be wiped out,” Ms Hume told Sky News. “I’ve been looking at the numbers … and I don’t think that at this point there will be a single member of the House of Representatives from Victoria. There won’t be a single member of the House of Representatives from New South Wales. Something has to give.”
The latest Newspoll data paints a stark picture of the Opposition’s struggles, particularly on its right flank, where support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation continues to surge, posing a significant threat to the Liberal Party’s standing as a major political force. The Coalition’s primary vote has reportedly sunk to a record low of just 18 per cent. Concurrently, One Nation’s primary vote, which reached a record high of 22 per cent last month, has now climbed to 27 per cent – a substantial nine points above the combined vote of the Liberal and Nationals parties.
In the wake of these alarming opinion poll results, attempts were made to solicit comments from a number of Liberal and Nationals MPs. However, none were willing to go on the record with their critical assessments.
Those MPs who did speak anonymously to Daily Mail Australia were overwhelmingly of the view that Ley’s leadership is nearing its end. “Sussan needs to go now, things can’t get any worse under someone else,” one Liberal MP reportedly stated. “I really don’t care who it is anymore, as long as it’s not her. That’s the circuit breaker we need.”
However, there are differing opinions within the party. Another moderate Liberal MP disagreed, suggesting, “Sussan needs to step down willingly, but she’s not there yet and certainly not for Angus.” A third Liberal MP expressed a desire for a completely new direction, telling the Daily Mail, “Angus isn’t the answer, we need a fresh start.” The coming week is therefore expected to be a pivotal one for the Liberal Party as it grapples with internal divisions and declining public support.
