Sussan Ley’s Leadership Teeters on Brink as Liberal Colleague Turns the Knife: ‘It’s Not OK… We’ve Had This Policy Vacuum for Too Many Months’
- Sussan Ley’s leadership of the Liberal Party is under intense scrutiny after a colleague questioned whether she still has the support of her party room.
- Senator Sarah Henderson’s explosive comments sparked a furious backlash from Liberal MPs, who have rallied around Ms Ley.
- Despite the show of unity, Ms Ley’s position remains precarious, with conservatives waiting for the net zero issue to be resolved before potentially launching a challenge.
- The Liberal Party will return to Canberra on Wednesday to finalise its position on a net zero climate target, which has been the source of significant internal division.
Sussan Ley’s leadership of the Liberal Party is hanging by a thread after a devastating blow from a colleague, who brutally assessed her performance and declared: ‘It’s not OK… We’ve had this policy vacuum for too many months.’
Senator Sarah Henderson’s scathing comments, made on Sky News, sparked a furious backlash from Liberal MPs, who have rallied around Ms Ley. But despite the show of unity, Ms Ley’s position remains precarious, with conservatives waiting for the net zero issue to be resolved before potentially launching a challenge.
‘I do believe she is losing support because of what’s happened since she became leader, and we are all working very hard to get our party back on track,’ Senator Henderson said. Her remarks were quickly rebuffed by Ms Ley, who refused to engage with the criticism.
‘I am not going to comment on commentary, you wouldn’t expect me to,’ Ms Ley said. ‘I’m not focused on comments that other people relay to me, or that might be made in a variety of contexts. The only thing I care about is working hard for the Australian people.’
But despite Ms Ley’s attempts to brush off the criticism, her leadership is looking increasingly vulnerable. The Liberal Party will return to Canberra on Wednesday to finalise its position on a net zero climate target, which has been the source of significant internal division. It is widely expected that the party will dump its commitment to reach net zero by 2050, a move that could further alienate moderates and imperil Ms Ley’s position.
Angus Taylor, who narrowly lost a leadership ballot to Ms Ley, was quick to defend her, saying: ‘I think Sussan is well established as leader and will be with us through to the next election.’ But others are less convinced, with some conservatives already manoeuvring for a potential challenge next year.
As the Liberal Party teeters on the brink of chaos, one thing is certain: Sussan Ley’s leadership is under intense scrutiny, and her position is looking increasingly precarious.