Listen to Australian and world news and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT
Angus Taylor has officially resigned his front bench role as Shadow Minister for Defence to challenge for the Liberal leadership, ending months of speculation surrounding Sussan Ley’s position.
Ms Ley took to social media ((Instagram and X)), leaning into the Liberal Party’s tradition of three-line slogans, posting: "We will take the pressure off families, fix the budget, and keep Australia safe."
When Ms Ley initially got the leadership position following the 2025 election defeat, she defeated Mr Taylor by only four votes, making her vulnerable from the beginning.
Mr Taylor also took to social media ((Instagram and X)) to confirm his bid for the leadership.
"The Labor government has failed and the Liberal Party has lost its way. I'm running to be the leader of the Liberal Party because I believe that Australia is worth fighting for. I believe we need strong and decisive leadership that gives Australians clarity, courage and confidence in providing a vision for the future. We must start by holding this failing Labor government to account for their total mismanagement of our country and advocate for solutions to the problems that Australians are facing. I'm dedicated to serving you, the Australian people, and giving you a strong alternative that re enlivens the Great Australian Dream."
Following the decision by Mr Taylor to quit the front bench, a series of staggered resignations has been orchestrated to trigger a party room spill.
To date, six frontbenchers have resigned from their positions including Mr Taylor, with more expected to announce their resignations.
Senator Jonno Duniam, Senator James Paterson, Senator Matt O’Sullivan, Shadow Minister Claire Chandler, and Shadow Assistant Minister Philip Thompson all quit their posts in a coordinated move.
The resignations began with the recently appointed Shadow Minister for Cyber Security and Science, the Senator for Tasmania, Claire Chandler.
"In recent weeks, I've been contacted every day by Tasmanians, by Australians who feel that the Liberal Party has let them down. They don't see an opposition that is tackling the Albanese government head on and holding them accountable for their failures. They just see an opposition that is obsessed with talking about itself. Now I know that the Liberal Party is better than this, but in recent days, I've come with a view that that's not going to happen under the current leadership, and that's why today I've resigned from the front bench."
However, a loyal faction of Liberals is rallying to defend Ms Ley.
Prominent supporters, including MP Tim Wilson, MP Andrew Wallace, and high-profile moderate Senator Andrew Bragg, are pushing back against the spill.
Mr Bragg told Sky News that the challenge is premature, insisting that Ms Ley deserves at least one year in the role to prove her leadership.
"Sussan has policies which are ready to go. Housing stuff, immigration stuff, and I think she ought to be given an opportunity to do that work. As I say, the last few months have been, I think, a particularly difficult time to be the opposition leader. It's always probably the hardest job in Australia. But 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. And as I think most normal people would expect 12 months in a job is at least a reasonable attempt."
So far, Mr Taylor is backed by Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, Senator Jess Collins, Shadow Minister for Finance James Paterson, and Phillip Thompson, the Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence and the NDIS.
Responding to questions regarding the ousting of the Liberal Party’s first female leader, Senator Paterson is insisting the challenge is about merit rather than gender.
He says that the verdict on Ms Ley’s leadership is now very clear.
"Newspoll shows she's at negative 39 personal approval rating. That is the worst performance of an opposition leader in 23 years. You have to go back to Simon Crean. You have to go back to 2003 and Simon Crean to find an opposition leader who has polled so badly. Sometimes Prime Ministers can recover from bad opinion polls, but it is very difficult for opposition leaders to do so, and I don't believe she'll do so."
Senator Henderson says she has sympathy for Sussan Ley but is throwing her support behind Mr Taylor, as she believes he will prioritise the interests of the Australian people.
She is warning that the Liberal Party is facing its most dire situation since 1994, noting the stark contrast between current polling and the 45.5% primary vote Tony Abbott secured upon becoming Prime Minister.
Citing the latest Newspoll, which places the Coalition's primary vote at just 18% - Senator Henderson says that a leadership change is essential to avoid a total wipe out in the House of Representatives.
"Angus is very experienced. He's very principled. He's got a wonderful background as a business person. He's got a great empathy with regional Australians. And he's very determined, he's very courageous, and he's very focused on our values. One of the difficulties I have had is that when I wanted to take forward some really important amendments to a very bad Labor bill to prosecute the case for us to step up in the national interest on immigration policy and cap foreign students to make sure that we managed our migration program in the national interest. I was forced across the floor to prosecute what I felt was a really strong common sense policy, which had a lot of support from my colleagues. I don't believe that was consistent with Liberal values, and I believe we will see some very strong, courageous leadership from Angus."
At least six candidates are currently vying for the deputy leadership, with some reports that MP Zoe McKenzie might enter the race.
Senator Sarah Henderson is publicly backing Jane Hume for deputy leader, despite the rarity of a leader being based in the Senate.
Traditionally, the position belongs to a member of the House of Representatives to sit alongside the party leader.
The last Senator to hold the deputy Liberal leadership was Western Australian Senator Fred Chaney, who served in the role from 1989 to 1990.
Senator Henderson is arguing that Senator Hume and Mr Taylor would recreate the outstanding partnership they shared as Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Finance Minister under Peter Dutton.
"I mean, this is, of course, yet to be sorted through, and there's only been various speculation. But I do hope Jane puts up her hand. 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."
Prominent conservative frontbenchers, including Michaelia Cash and Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Dan Tehan, have yet to announce their intentions.
As the wave of departures continues, Ms Ley is remaining active on social media.
A party room meeting will take place on Friday morning to vote on a leadership spill.
