Libs warned swapping leaders won’t solve voter vacuum
A leading pollster warns the Liberals’ leadership change will do little to reverse the party’s electoral woes.
Sussan Ley’s leadership came under criticism after her party split from the National Party.
But Redbridge director and former Liberal strategist Tony Barry says the Liberals face an existential crisis regardless of who the opposition leader is.
“The fate of any personality will not change now,” he told AAP.
“They are voting at around 20 percent and the primary vote should be around 45 percent.
“They’re not even in the ballpark parking lot right now.
“The only way a reformed coalition can become competitive again is if they change the narrative, refocus on the economy, and be bold on economic reform.”
While it is possible Ms Ley could face a leadership challenge when parliament restarts on Tuesday, she is likely to hold off for now after West Australian MP Andrew Hastie said he would not run for the top job.
Mr Hastie issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying he did not have the numbers to challenge Ms Ley.
His expected leadership challenger, front-runner Angus Taylor, has not indicated whether he plans to challenge.
Mr Barry said the Liberals needed a change in approach if they wanted to compete with Labour.
“The Liberal Party has become a slight spin off of the National Party and it doesn’t work in urban vote centers because they have rural characteristics,” he said.
“They need to double down on their votes. They will only do that by presenting their message on an economic narrative that differentiates them, differentiates them from Labour.”
The Liberals’ departure from the National Party also complicated leadership tensions.
Nationals leader David Littleproud is facing a leak motion from Queensland MP Colin Boyce on Monday but it is unlikely to succeed.
Negotiations on reforming the coalition were suspended pending a leadership leak.
Ms Ley appointed an interim shadow cabinet, giving the National Party a week to return to the negotiating table before a more permanent shadow ministry is established.
Mr Barry said the parties needed to put differences aside for the good of the Liberals and Nationals.
“They need to realize that being in a partnership means making internal trade-offs,” he said.
“This means admitting that you cannot stay in the coalition for as long as it suits you, and then threatening to break it up on an issue that doesn’t suit you.
“They need to be very mindful that their internal dysfunction will continue to accumulate scar tissue to the point where they may never heal.
“You can’t keep accumulating scar tissue like this and not think there’s permanent damage to your brand.”
