‘Get it over with’: frustration spills over in Libs row
Liberal leadership candidate Angus Taylor is expected to resign from the opposition frontbench to launch a leak against the party’s first female leader as pressure grows for a change at the top.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley survived a challenge at a routine Liberal party room meeting on Tuesday morning but Mr Taylor is likely to announce his intention to run for the leadership on Wednesday.
A series of opinion polls showing the coalition’s support has reached historic lows, including the latest News Poll on Monday, have led some Liberal MPs to privately push for a change.
But Ms Ley’s supporters, including moderate Liberal MP Maria Kovacic, have called on their colleagues to put their names publicly on a petition calling for leaks so the party can move on.
“We’re fed up with what’s been going on over the last few months, it’s gotten out of control in the last few days,” he told ABC TV.
“That’s enough. If you want this, put your name to it and be done with it.”
He said the ongoing turmoil was damaging the party’s credibility and its ability to hold the Labor government to account.
“I don’t think Australians care who the next leader is going to be because we haven’t actually shown them what we’re going to do to make their lives better, and that’s a failure,” Ms Kovacic said.
Liberal rules require anyone in a leadership position or shadow ministry to resign if they are part of a struggle.
MPs can also request that the leader convene a special party room meeting to assess the leadership leak.
If Ms Ley refuses to hold a meeting, she will need a petition approved by a majority of Liberal MPs and senators to force Mr Taylor’s hand.
In 2018, a petition was circulated calling for a party room meeting to unravel the leadership, which led to the ouster of former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull by Scott Morrison.
A special party room meeting is expected to be held on Thursday or Friday after senators finish parliamentary committee hearings for the week.
Mr Taylor is confident he has the numbers to win the leak.
Mr Turnbull joined calls for the Conservative candidate to “stand up and be counted”.
“Isn’t this a place where we vote publicly?” Mr Turnbull told reporters at Parliament House on Tuesday.
“If Angus wants to be leader of the Liberal Party he needs to stand up and say it and say why.”
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