Key Takeaways:
- Andrew Hastie is emerging as a potential candidate to challenge Sussan Ley for the Liberal party’s leadership.
- Ley’s leadership is under threat after the Coalition split, with internal rivals claiming she has lost the support of the party room.
- Hastie and Angus Taylor are considering running for the top job, with Hastie seen as the preferred choice among some conservatives.
- The Liberal party is divided, with some MPs pushing for Ley to step aside and others calling for a contested ballot.
- The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, is blaming Ley for the Coalition split and claiming he tried to "avert it".
Introduction to the Leadership Crisis
The Liberal party is facing a leadership crisis, with Sussan Ley’s position as leader under threat after the Coalition split. Despite her defiant declaration that she would survive the fallout, internal rivals are adamant that she has lost the support of the party room. Andrew Hastie, a former soldier and conservative MP, is emerging as a potential candidate to challenge Ley for the leadership. Hastie has previously declared leadership aspirations and has been encouraged by colleagues to run for the top job.
The Coalition Split
The Coalition split occurred after the Nationals senators Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald, and Ross Cadell crossed the floor to vote on the government’s hate speech laws. The laws were drafted after the Bondi terror attack, and the Nationals had warned Ley that accepting resignations from the trio would spark a walkout by the party. Despite this, Ley accepted the resignations, leading to the Coalition split. The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, claimed that he had tried to "avert" the split, but Ley’s decision had made it inevitable.
Hastie’s Leadership Bid
Hastie’s office has confirmed that he is prepared to run for the leadership, and he is seen as the preferred choice among some conservatives. Hastie quit the shadow cabinet in October after a dispute with Ley on immigration policy, and his leadership bid is likely to be supported by some of the party’s right-wing MPs. Angus Taylor, another conservative MP, is also considering running for the leadership, and the two men are likely to discuss which of them will run in the coming days.
Ley’s Response
Ley has declared that she expects to remain in the top job, despite the challenges to her leadership. She has said that she remains open to the possibility of another reconciliation with Littleproud and the Nationals, but her position is looking increasingly untenable. Ley’s deputy, Ted O’Brien, has expressed his support for her, but privately, several Liberal MPs have told Guardian Australia that they do not want the Coalition to reunite and that the National party should be "severely punished" for their actions.
The Party’s Division
The Liberal party is divided, with some MPs pushing for Ley to step aside and others calling for a contested ballot. The party’s right-wing MPs are likely to support Hastie or Taylor, while the more moderate MPs may prefer to stick with Ley. The division within the party is likely to make it difficult for Ley to survive as leader, and a contested ballot may be inevitable. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has been scathing of the Liberals, saying that they are focused on their internal politics and predicting "at least one more defection to One Nation over coming weeks".
The Nationals’ Position
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has continued to blame Ley for the Coalition split, claiming that he tried to "avert" it. The Nationals have said that their door is "open" to rejoining the Coalition, but it is unclear whether this will happen. The party’s senators who crossed the floor to vote on the hate speech laws have been praised by some for their actions, but others have criticized them for breaking with the Coalition’s position. The Nationals’ position is likely to be a major factor in the Liberal party’s leadership crisis, and it remains to be seen how the situation will play out.
Conclusion
The Liberal party’s leadership crisis is ongoing, with Sussan Ley’s position under threat from Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor. The Coalition split has highlighted the divisions within the party, and it remains to be seen how the situation will play out. The party’s MPs are divided, with some pushing for Ley to step aside and others calling for a contested ballot. The Nationals’ position is also uncertain, and it is unclear whether they will rejoin the Coalition. One thing is certain, however: the Liberal party is facing a major crisis, and it will take a significant effort to resolve it.