Moderates Anne Ruston and Maria Kovacic, who are key supporters of Ley, have pushed back against media reports claiming a decline in backing for Ley within her faction.

When asked by SBS News whether she still enjoys the support of her party members, Ley chose not to engage, dismissing the issue as “commentary about commentary.”

Last week, the Liberal party room assembled in Canberra to discuss the net zero emissions debate, and notably, there was no leadership challenge during the meeting.

Meanwhile, the party has announced plans to aim for annual emissions reductions, although it intends to eliminate the emission targets set by Labor’s legislation.

At the same time, the party says it will pursue year-on-year emissions reductions, but will scrap Labor’s legislated targets.