Angus Taylor, Andrew Hastie hold secret talks in Melbourne to topple Sussan Ley
Updated ,first published
Talks between Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor to reach an agreement to replace Opposition Leader Sussan Ley have ended in a stalemate as the pair sparred over a joint ticket or one of them stepping aside.
Hastie, Taylor and three other right-wingers – senators James Paterson, Jonno Duniam and Matt O’Sullivan – met at a house in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs before the funeral of former Liberal MP Katie Allen.
Duniam and Paterson are in Ley’s inner circle, and although neither has publicly called for disclosure, their involvement is a blow to Ley’s long-term leadership hopes.
Two sources familiar with the meeting who did not want to speak publicly about it said there had been no outcome yet on whether Taylor, 59, or Hastie, 43, would run as Right faction rivals for the Liberal leadership.
The source said more meetings would be needed between the pair, who remain friends despite a recent leadership dispute.
As this imprint revealed on Saturday, the two discussed a number of options, including the pair serving as a leader-deputy combination.
Both men made claims to leadership. Hastie’s supporters tout the young West Australian as a generational replacement who could counter the evolving One Nation, while Taylor’s supporters say he will offer stability and Howard-era Liberal values.
Hastie’s group claimed a much higher level of support within the Right faction than Taylor, but Taylor’s side has backtracked and neutral right-wingers say their claims of support have not been tested. Taylor also called for calm from colleagues, questioning the logic of a rapid leak that was not handled maturely.
The stalemate means a challenge against Ley next week is unlikely, although a leak remains possible next week.
Hastie returned to the private Athenaeum Club after Allen’s funeral and declined to comment on the meeting when questioned by this imprint.
Hastie arrived in a car with Duniam and O’Sullivan, while Taylor later arrived alone. They all left the house with Paterson and headed to Allen’s funeral.
Duniam and O’Sullivan are flatmates with Hastie in Canberra. Paterson is close to both Taylor and Hastie.
Paterson declined to speculate on how his colleagues were positioning themselves against a potential leadership leak but said he had Ley’s support.
The fact that Duniam and Paterson, both members of Ley’s leadership group, were involved in a debate about a right-wing challenge is a bad sign for the current opposition leader. Duniam and Paterson are foot soldiers loyal to Ley, but they can probably see the struggling leader’s writing on the wall.
Earlier Paterson told ABC Melbourne: “If he hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t be talking to you this morning as shadow minister for finance. [have my support]. I understand my responsibilities under the Westminster Convention.
“If you do not support any leader, your first responsibility is to tell them and your second responsibility is to resign. I did neither, so you can assume that I continue to support Sussan,” he said.
The Right faction will need to unite around a single candidate to have any chance of unseating Ley, who was supported by Moderates and independent MPs when he became Liberal leader in May, a week after the coalition’s crushing election defeat.
The split among Ley’s opponents has boosted the confidence of the opposition leader’s wing, but continued tough polls showing One Nation competitive with the Coalition have left many MPs yearning for an urgent overhaul of the party’s policy agenda and public messaging.
At Allen’s ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral, Ley arrived 15 minutes before the 10.30am ceremony and entered the cathedral with opposition chief whip Aaron Violi. He left with Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson.
After the service, mourners spread out on Flinders Street and Ley’s factional allies stood around him. They included former defense secretary Marise Payne, Moderate leader Anne Ruston and her deputy Ted O’Brien.
Taylor entered the cathedral with former MP Alan Tudge about five minutes before the service started. Avoiding the gaze of thousands of mourners, he made his way down the east side of the cathedral and sat down towards the front of the venue, where seats had been allocated to Allen’s former Liberal colleagues.
When the mourners were told to take their seats and the service began, Hastie sneaked into the west side of the cathedral with Duniam.
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Paul Sakkal is the chief political correspondent. It has previously covered Victorian politics and won the Walkley and Quill awards. Reach him securely on Signal @paulsakkal.14Connect with: X or email.
Chip Le Grand leads our state politics reporting team. He had previously served as the newspaper’s chief correspondent and was a journalist with 30 years of experience.Connect via email.
