NSW Liberals prepare for challenge as Speakman’s hold on leadership disintegrates
One moderate denied there was any wrongdoing in the ordering of the meetings. Daily TelegraphMeeting with Speakman: “Effectively, they report that Mark’s strongest supporters are meeting with him like every other day.”
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Asked by this imprint whether Speakman’s leadership was fatal, a senior MP texted: “It appears so.”
But at Wednesday’s Chatham House event, the conversation among MPs, staff and journalists was not whether Speakman would be kicked out, but when. Senior Liberal sources said Sloane had begun preparing his staff and policy platform for when he eventually assumes the leadership.
Sloane doesn’t want to mount a challenge either, but has told colleagues he would be ready to take on the job if a vacancy arises.
In that scenario, according to Liberals close to Sloane, an extraordinary party room meeting would be held on Friday or Monday morning to elect a new leader.
on tuesday Reporter Detailed plans were to be sent to envoys in the Sloane camp on Thursday to tell the opposition leader that his leadership was untenable.
In that scenario, according to Liberals close to Sloane, an extraordinary party room meeting would be held on Friday or Monday morning to elect a new leader.
A leadership leak can only happen in one party room, and with no further meetings planned this week, Speakman or his deputy Natalie Ward will need to make a call or at least 11 MPs will need to sign the request for an extraordinary meeting.
A Conservative source said the right wing of the party, which supports Henskens, had been effectively excluded from talks about the post-Speakman future. The MP concluded that when leaders change, the status quo will largely remain the same.
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If Speakman is removed, both leaders of the Coalition will be replaced within days. Coffs Harbor MP Gurmesh Singh became National leader this week following the shock resignation of Dugald Saunders, who left for personal reasons.
This could lead to a significant reshuffle in the Coalition’s shadow cabinet, with Sloane and Singh able to choose their own portfolios.
Concern over Speakman’s poor poll numbers and failure to heed advice has aggrieved colleagues. Despite a slight increase in its preferred first-place rating, the NSW Coalition’s primary vote is weakening at 28 per cent.
Some Liberals believe Speakman, a former attorney general and environment minister, has failed to strike a blow against Premier Chris Minns, largely due to a lack of sustained and consistent criticism of the government.
Sloane, a former journalist-turned-businesswoman, is said to have leadership potential. Only elected in March 2023, many of his colleagues thought he lacked the political experience to take on the top job. But with his rivals unable to convince his colleagues, Sloane increasingly became the only realistic possibility.
