Liberal Party leadership crisis: Barnaby Joyce warns Ley plotters to take their time

Angst is growing over Sussan Ley’s leadership of the Liberal Party following a fresh round of dire public polling, while a key Coalition critic of the now-dumped net zero policy urges internal rivals to take their time before moving against her.

Key Liberal party figures are also pushing back on claims fellow members of their moderate faction were moving towards conservative West Australian MP Andrew Hastie ahead of next week’s crucial final parliamentary sitting for the year.

It followed the Coalition formally presenting a unified stance on a reworked climate and energy policy on Sunday, that coincided with a new Redbridge/Accent Research survey confirming support for the opposition and its leader continuing to fall among voters.

According to the poll conducted for The Australian Financial Review, the Coalition’s primary vote fell to a record low of 24 per cent, while Labor’s climbed four points to 38 per cent.

It means the Albanese government has extended its two-party-preferred lead from 44 per cent to 56 per cent, a two-point swing in its favour from the standings at the year’s federal election.

For the Opposition Leader the result is even more dire with Ms Ley now trailing Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister by 30 points, with just 10 per cent of voters backing her compared to 40 per cent for the Labor leader.

On Monday the Opposition Leader’s office distributed a joint statement from two prominent party room supporters, Senators Anne Ruston and Maria Kovacic, rejecting reports Sussan Ley was losing support from fellow moderates.

“Media reports this morning about the moderates are incorrect. We, along with an overwhelming majority of our moderate colleagues, continue to strongly support Sussan’s leadership.”

“This matter was resolved in the party room six months ago and Sussan will lead us strongly to the next election,” the two Senators declared.

The Australian and Daily Mail newspapers on Monday reported “a growing number of moderate Liberal MPs are pulling their support for Sussan Ley” and are instead backing Mr Hastie to be the next leader.

According to the reports, moderates are arguing Ms Ley has caved to Mr Hastie’s agenda on dumping net zero, and the backbencher has a better chance of lifting the Coalition’s stocks electorally.

Figures from both the conservative and moderate factions insist there is no current momentum to push for a leadership spill when MPs return to Canberra next week, with most Liberal party room members preferring to monitor Ms Ley’s performance over the long summer break.

However, during an appearance on the Sunrise program on Monday, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce also backed suggestions key Liberal Party members were positioning themselves for a challenge to the Opposition Leader.

“Obviously, it does look like people are positioning themselves. I wouldn’t be telling you the truth, otherwise, would I?” the former Deputy Prime Minister said, before offering advice to expected Liberal leadership contenders Angus Taylor and Mr Hastie.

“What I would also say — it’s a 1500-metre race — be really careful where you position yourself on the first lap. It’s nothing, nobody really cares.”

“The finish line is two and a half years away, and that’s where you’ve got to be positioning yourself,” the Nationals MP added.

Sunrise host Nat Barr separately grilled Ms Ley on the prospects of a leadership spill when the Opposition leader appeared on the program on Monday morning.

“The sharks are circling … are you worried? Is your leadership terminal?” Barr asked.

Ms Ley avoided answering the question directly, saying she was focused on the Coalition’s new energy plan which was about Australians and affordable energy “as a priority”.

“It’s about looking after the next generation, who, right now are going to have a lower standard of living than their parents,” she said.

During a subsequent appearance on Sydney radio station 2GB Ms Ley was forced to listen to an audio recording of multiple talk back callers stating they wanted Mr Hastie as leader of the Liberal Party.

“People are entitled to have their views. I’m not here for a sense of ego about me. Can I be really clear about that?” Ms Ley told the audience.

“I’ve been underestimated a lot of my life. I remember when a lot of blokes told me I couldn’t fly an airplane and did a lot to keep me out of the front seat, and I flew an airplane.”

Meanwhile Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised the Coalition’s decision to abandon its net zero target, saying the new policy is aimed at keeping Opposition Leader Sussan Ley in her job while her colleagues continue to undermine her.

“It is just a policy to try and get the leader of the opposition through Christmas as the leader, in spite of the fact she is being undermined each and every day by her own colleagues,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

Mr Albanese said the Coalition’s internal turmoil was on full display, pointing to recent media interventions from senior figures.

“I mean, what was the Angus Taylor’s double-page spread about in the Telegraph… and Andrew Hastie is out there parading around as an alternative leader as well, and then you have other people like Melissa McIntosh and others all out there putting themselves forward. There’s no discipline.”

“The Business Council of Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and the Australian Industry Group, all of the energy experts say that it is a mess,” he said.