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Angus Taylor, a prominent member of the Liberal Party, is under increasing pressure to challenge Sussan Ley for leadership amid a delicate reunion of the Coalition. Party senators have expressed concerns that without decisive action, the party could suffer significant losses in future elections.
After nearly three weeks of division due to disagreements over hate speech legislation, the Liberal and National parties have reconciled. Sussan Ley emphasized that their unity is crucial for effectively holding the current Labor government accountable.
According to a Newspoll survey featured in The Australian, the Coalition’s primary support has dropped to a historic low of 17 percent, a notable decline from 21 percent recorded in mid-January.
This survey, which shows One Nation’s support climbing to 27 percent—putting them just six points behind Labor—has sparked widespread frustration among Liberal Party members.
Senator Jess Collins, who supports Taylor, remarked that the party is deteriorating and stressed the urgency for change following these polling results.
“We are in such a bad way, and for us to go back to our electorate, we have to go with something new, and whatever that may be, something has to change,” she told reporters on Monday morning.
Former Opposition treasury spokesperson Taylor emerged as a potential challenger after fellow leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie bowed out of the race in late January.
With both men vying for the backing of the Liberals’ conservative wing, Hastie’s withdrawal cleared the runway for Taylor by averting a split in the right-faction vote.
Liberal senator Jane Hume said on Monday the poll results pointed to an “existential crisis” for the party.
She warned that if the poll results were replicated at an election, the Liberals would be left without a single seat in Victoria or NSW.
“I don’t know who’s left. At this point, we’re talking about a leadership contest between Sussan Ley and Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor. None of them will have seats after the next election if this continues, so something’s got to give,” she said.
Hume stopped short of “casting aspirations” about leadership, but argued for “something very different”, stating the party is “now at irrelevance”.
In order to mount a challenge, Taylor would need to step down from the front bench and then trigger a spill motion.
However, with the last Liberal party room meeting until March scheduled on Tuesday, it may require a special meeting.
Opposition legal affairs spokesperson Andrew Wallace insists that Ley has the backing of the party room, stating she needs a chance, having served less than 12 months since the Liberal Party’s historic defeat under Peter Dutton in the May 2025 federal election.
“Sussan deserves the opportunity to succeed. She is a strong voice for Liberal Party values, and she needs a team that will coalesce behind her,” he said.
Ley says job is safe, flags new policies
Ley insisted on Monday that she does not expect a leadership spill.
Asked on Sky News whether her job is safe, Ley replied: “Yes, it is.”
The Liberal leader urged colleagues to keep internal discussions to “inside the party room”.
“In public, we must present a credible alternative to the Australian people,” she told Sky News.
Ley also flagged the party would soon announce its immigration principles.
Expected by the end of February, they are likely to spell out an intention to lower Australia’s migration intake below current levels in a bid to stem the flow of voters to One Nation.
But that could prove too late to save her leadership.
Taylor failed to put rumours of a spill to bed on Friday, telling Sydney radio station 2GB he had leadership ambitions.
Pressed on whether Ley would still be leader in a week, he said a coup was not in the works but conceded he had been having conversations with his colleagues about the party’s future.
— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
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