Ley schedules Liberal leadership ballot after Taylor declares challenge — as it happened

We're closing up the blog for the day. Here's a quick recap of what's been happening in the Liberal camp:

• Last night, Angus Taylor stepped down from his frontbench position as Opposition defence spokesperson. While he didn't explicitly announce his intention to challenge Sussan Ley for the Liberal Party leadership, a spill was expected
• Today, several other Liberal frontbenchers announced they were resigning from their roles — James Paterson, Jonathon Duniam, Phil Thompson, Claire Chandler and Matt O'Sullivan. Notably, only conservatives have tendered their resignations thus far. The party's moderates have been a bit more tight-lipped — moderate senator Dave Sharma, for instance, said he wouldn't publicly be revealing who he'd support ahead of the vote.
• But Ley still has her backers, including Opposition housing spokesperson Andrew Bragg and Opposition legal affairs spokesperson Andrew Wallace
• Taylor today formally announced his intention to challenge Ley for the Liberal leadership
• A special Liberal Party meeting will now be held on Friday morning at 9am to hold a leadership ballot

Thanks for joining our live coverage.

— Alex Gallagher

Opposition leader Sussan Ley has spoken in the House of Representatives, following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's delivery of the annual Closing the Gap report — potentially her final speech as a leader.

"While there has been progress in a small number of targets, only four are on track, and indeed four have gone backwards," she said.

"Closing the Gap must never become a box-ticking exercise or an annual ritual in this place. It is a national obligation that demands seriousness, discipline and long-term focus."

"The Closing the Gap Report is not just a measure of Indigenous outcomes. It is also a measure of our national resolve," Ley said. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

"What the Coalition has not committed to — is simply agreeing to every proposal which is put forward. We will make principled decisions. We will carefully scrutinise legislation, and we will always consider whether proposals are improving the lives of Indigenous Australians. We took one such principled position this week on legislation for a new National Commissioner role."

A special party room meeting will take place on Friday at Friday 9 am to hold a leadership ballot.

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

Opposition leader Sussan Ley will hold a leadership ballot on Friday.

SBS News can confirm the special party room meeting will take place at 9am.

Factional rival Angus Taylor has publicly declared he will challenge Ley.

A spill motion against the party's first female leader was moved on Thursday morning.

— Ewa Staszewska

The number of Liberal Party frontbenchers who have resigned from their positions is growing. Here's the list so far:

• Angus Taylor, former defence spokesperson
• Jonathon Duniam, former home affairs spokesperson
• James Paterson, former finance spokesperson
• Phil Thompson, former defence assistant spokesperson
• Claire Chandler, former cybersecurity spokesperson
• Matt O'Sullivan, former infrastructure assistant spokesperson

Senator Jess Collins, who is not on the frontbench, has also expressed her opposition to Sussan Ley's leadership.

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

As Liberal frontbencher James Paterson was finishing his press conference resigning from the frontbench and throwing his support behind Angus Taylor, Sussan Ley was in the chamber for the prime minister's annual Closing the Gap address on Indigenous disadvantage.

The majority of Taylor's backers were absent from Opposition benches.

Ley now holds the power to determine when the Liberal Party will meet. The leadership race sits between Ley and Taylor, but there's speculation Opposition small business spokesperson Tim Wilson might also consider a tilt through the middle.

Could Tim Wilson emerge as a challenger for the Liberal leadership? Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

The Victorian MP hasn't responded to SBS News' requests for a response.

— Anna Henderson

James Paterson has become the first Liberal heavyweight to publicly back Angus Taylor's leadership.

The former finance spokesperson said "Sussan is a decent person", but that he no longer has confidence in her "to turn the ship around".

He expressed concern there would be nothing left of the Liberal Party after 2.1 million Australians had deserted the Coalition, according to the latest Newspoll results.

"That's more than 200,000 votes a month. It's more than 50,000 votes a week. It's more than 7,000 votes a day," he told reporters in Canberra.

When asked whether poor polling was solely Sussan Ley's fault, Paterson said: "Every member of Parliament must take responsibility. This is collective responsibility."

However, he believes that to earn support back from voters, the Liberal Party needs to demonstrate it has "changed direction".

Ley is expected to hold a special party room meeting either later today or tomorrow.

— Ewa Staszewska

Jane Hume has emerged as a potential deputy leader to Angus Taylor once a leadership spill is triggered.

The moderate Victorian senator has been increasingly vocal about the party's failures since being demoted to the backbench under Sussan Ley.

SBS News has been told by some of Taylor's backers that he will not run on a ticket, unlike last May when he ran alongside NT senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

Senator Sarah Henderson (left) has backed Senator Jane Hume (right) as deputy Liberal leader. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson threw her support behind Hume this morning.

"I think they would be a very formidable combination. There's no ticket, of course, but I do hope that Jane puts up her hand," she said.

Another runner is Tasmanian MP and assistant education spokesperson Zoe McKenzie.

SBS News understands there could be more candidates for the deputy position, but not all have made their intentions public.

— Ewa Staszewska and Anna Henderson

Dave Sharma, a Liberal senator and former Australian ambassador to Israel, said he will "publicly" indicate who he'll support in the leadership spill.

"I respect both individuals, Sussan and Angus, and I respect both of their abilities and achievements, and to me the most important thing is resolve this issue," he said.

In response to a question about the spill, occurring alongside Israeli President Isaac Herzog's state visit, Sharma said: "I think he [Herzog] was perfectly understanding, and I think we as the Opposition made our commitment to host him with dignity and appropriate respect yesterday."

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

While six Liberal Party members have now quit the frontbench, some party members are supporting Opposition leader Sussan Ley.

"I support Sussan Ley, I think she has done a very good job, under very difficult circumstances, she hasn't been the leader for 12 months yet ... and being the leader of the Opposition, particularly coming off the back of two pretty significant electoral defeats, it has to be the toughest job in politics," Opposition legal affairs spokesperson Andrew Wallace told reporters.

He added that Australians "want a unified Opposition".

"Unfortunately, we are not united ... Whenever this spill may or may not happen, that is what we got to do, we got to get in and lock in behind the leader," he said.

Andrew Wallace says he supports Sussan Ley.

Opposition housing spokesperson Andrew Bragg also echoed his support for Ley, saying he thinks the leadership spill is "premature".

"I think most Australians would look at it [the spill] and say this person [Ley] hasn't even given a year in the job, I think it is a reasonable proposition to be given a year to show you can do the job," he said.

In response to a question on Angus Taylor, he said, "the alternative vision" for Australia is not clear to him, and he supports "the leader".

Opposition frontbencher Tim Wilson also said: "I've been looking for a leader with a clear track record of turning impossible situations into improbable victories."

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

Politicians occasionally slip up, and the internet always remembers.

During the 2019 election campaign, Angus Taylor — energy minister at the time — was caught replying to his own Facebook post, praising himself for a job "well done".

Now, social media users have been quick to remind Taylor of his faux pas.

They've flooded the comments section of Taylor's recent posts about running as leader with "Fantastic. Great move. Well done Angus".

— Ewa Staszewska

As the leadership spill continues to build in the Liberal Party, with more frontbenchers resigning, analysts and polls say the party faces a bigger existential problem, as some Coalition voters move to support One Nation.

The most recent Roy Morgan poll from 2-8 February indicates that 24.5 per cent of voters support One Nation, whereas 22.5 per cent prefer the Liberal/National Party coalition.

In contrast, the January average polling showed 24 per cent backing the Coalition and 21.5 per cent supporting One Nation.

A recent Newspoll published by The Australian also revealed a historic low for the Coalition, with support plunging to 18 per cent and marking Opposition leader Sussan Ley as the least popular major party leader in 23 years.

The Newspoll showed One Nation polling at 27 per cent.

Analysts say a significant part of the increase in One Nation support is coming from traditional Liberal voters, predominantly gen X and baby boomers.

On 22 January, when the Nationals and Liberals were split, Simon Welsh, director of research and reputation at political consultancy firm Redbridge, said: "The idea of a major political institution falling over shouldn't be dismissed".

"I think this is a real existential moment for the Libs," he told SBS News.

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

Michaelia Cash is one of the prominent conservative Liberal frontbenchers yet to resign.

The WA senator holds the foreign affairs portfolio and leads the Opposition in the Senate.

Liberal senator Michaelia Cash is currently grilling the government in Senate estimates. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

With Senate estimates underway, her resignation is complicated.

Cash, a factional ally of Angus Taylor, will have to find a break from sitting on the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade committee to tender her resignation.

Energy and emissions spokesperson Dan Tehan is also one to watch, belonging to Taylor's right-wing faction.

— Ewa Staszewska

Liberal home affairs spokesperson Jonno Duniam has resigned alongside finance spokesperson James Paterson.

These are significant resignations as Paterson is a member of the leadership group, while Duniam is the manager of the Opposition business in the Senate.

Six Liberal Party members, including challenger Angus Taylor, have now quit Sussan Ley's frontbench.

— Ewa Staszewska

Just minutes after former Opposition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor shared a video formally challenging Sussan Ley for the Liberal Party leadership, Ley posted a smiling photo of herself on X.

"We will take the pressure off families, fix the budget, and keep Australia safe," she said.

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

We are now seeing the staggered resignations of conservative frontbenchers as they manoeuvre to put pressure on Sussan Ley to call a party room meeting and trigger the conditions for a spill motion.

Even those in the conservative factions — who are required to back their chosen candidate, Angus Taylor — have been privately disappointed with the way this is playing out. 

A few have told SBS News they feel like it's appearing to the nation as in "shambles", but they're intent on going ahead with the spill and trying to depose Ley as leader because of opinion polls.

Expect more senior shadow cabinet ministers to take to social media later in the day and announce their resignations.

This is all about laying the foundations for a spill, which could be held tonight or tomorrow.

Taylor's backers need to get the numbers to vote for a spill motion for it to go ahead.

As we know from history, there is always the possibility another candidate for the leadership could emerge.

At this stage, it's looking unlikely.

— Anna Henderson

Former defence spokesperson Angus Taylor will challenge Sussan Ley for Liberal Party leadership.

He confirmed his candidacy in a video posted to X on Thursday morning, after stopping short of making the call when he tendered his frontbench resignation on Wednesday night.

"I think we need strong and decisive leadership that gives Australians clarity, courage and confidence in providing vision for the future," Taylor said.

He said he's committed to giving Australians a "strong alternative" and "restoring the party".

— Ewa Staszewska

Opposition housing spokesperson Andrew Bragg has supported Sussan Ley's leadership, saying she "ought to be given an opportunity".

"I think Sussan has been dealt a pretty difficult hand. She's a tough person, and I think she ought to be given more time in the role, as I think most normal people would expect 12 months in a job is at least a reasonable attempt," Bragg told Sky News.

In response to a question about whether he will support Angus Taylor as a possible leader, he said: "It's not clear to me what the alternative vision for Australia is."

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

A leadership challenge is mounting against the Liberal Party's first female leader, Sussan Ley.

Her nine-month tenure didn't start without controversy, after the party suffered a historic loss at the May 2025 federal election.

Narrowly defeating Angus Taylor for the top job — by a mere four votes — also put a target on her back from the onset.

Those not in her camp have been quick to capitalise on missteps, including when she called on former ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd to be sacked after a tense exchange with United States President Donald Trump.

She was forced to backtrack the comments after the meeting was largely praised as a success.

The Farrer MP's October 2025 attempt to link a Joy Division T-shirt with antisemitism — demanding Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apologise for wearing the shirt — also failed in light of more pressing political issues.

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While Ley negotiated a second reunion with the Nationals over the weekend, the Coalition has fractured twice under her leadership.

The infighting within the Coalition has repeatedly undermined her stewardship. Nationals leader David Littleproud publicly stated he couldn't serve in a shadow cabinet under Ley, remarks he stepped back on on Sunday.

Dire polling numbers have also plagued Ley, with Newspoll, Redbridge and Morgan polls all ranking the Coalition behind One Nation.

The Coalition's conservative voters have split from the major party, contributing to a record rise for One Nation, which now sits second behind Labor.

Sunday's Newspoll also saw Ley's personal approval drop 11 points to a low of -39, the worst for a major party leader in two decades.

— Ewa Staszewska

Phil Thompson, who told the media he resigned from the frontbench minutes ago, has handed a spill motion request to Opposition leader Sussan Ley, alongside NSW Liberal senator Jess Collins.

"Jess and I made the decision that there's no more talking about it, no more whispers, no more talking about ourselves," Thompson said.

He said the party is currently in a "death spiral" and "Angus Taylor has the ability" to get the party out of it.

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

Senator Matt O'Sullivan, the Opposition's spokesperson for fisheries, forestry and infrastructure, and Phil Thompson, spokesperson for defence and the NDIS, are currently resigning from the front bench, according to reports from the parliament.

That follows senator Claire Chandler, the Opposition's spokesperson for science and cybersecurity, resigning this morning.

Including Angus Taylor, four Opposition frontbenchers have now resigned from their positions.

— Niv Sadrolodabaee