Liberals conspiring on day of former MP’s funeral ‘disappointing’, party vice president says

A senior Liberal Party voice has weighed in on murmurs conservative forces are trying to topple Sussan Ley, lamenting that the two MPs tipped to challenge the opposition leader met on the day of former MP Katie Allen’s funeral.

Following the Coalition’s split last week, conservative leadership aspirants Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie emerged as likely challengers.

NewsWire understands both were canvassing support but how widely remains unclear, with moderates loyal to Ms Ley saying they have not received calls.

Mr Taylor and Mr Hastie held a secretive meeting in Melbourne on Thursday morning, the Australian reported.

Right faction Liberal heavyweights James Paterson, Jonathon Duniam and Matt O’Sullivan also attended.

All were in Melbourne for their former colleague’s funeral.

Reacting to the meeting, Liberal Party vice-president Fiona Scott said the choice of day was “disappointing”.

“Our side of politics are picking the good days, aren’t they, to have these conversations?” she told Sky News.

“I mean, I hate agreeing with the Prime Minister, but … the National Party pulling it on the official day of mourning, and now this for Katie – just disappointing.”

The Nationals last week announced they were again splitting from the Coalition on the National Day of Mourning for those killed in the Bondi terror attack.

The timing drew criticism from Labor, the Liberals and Jewish groups.

NewsWire understands the timing of Thursday’s meeting has not gone down well within the Liberal Party, particularly among its moderate members.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Anthony Albanese said the timing was “astonishing”.

“I find it astonishing that there are meetings taking place about the leadership of the Liberal Party on a day such as today,” the Prime Minister said.

“Katie was a very decent human being, who made a contribution to public life and was a candidate in the most recent federal election.”

‘Frustrating’

Ms Scott also said it appeared inevitable that Ms Ley would face a leadership challenge.

Mr Taylor, who serves as opposition defence spokesman, lost last year’s post-election Liberal leadership vote to Ms Ley by just four votes.

Speaking to The Australian on Monday, he did not rule out another run at the party’s top job.

Mr Hastie, on the other hand, resigned from the opposition frontbench after Ms Ley told the then home affairs spokesman that he would not set immigration policy.

From the backbench, Mr Hastie has broadcast a range of hard-line positions, building a hefty social media following and branding himself a populist.

“Clearly there’s motivation from the conservative side of the party to do something,” she said.

“There’s clearly a lot of momentum building through the media … and unfortunately, when one plus one is added together – sometimes there’s an inevitable outcome to that.

“But that doesn’t mean they’re going to be successful in the party room, either.”

She pointed to Ms Ley’s “very strong comments” declaring “she felt that she still had and commanded authority of the party room”.

“So it’s disappointing to see this playing out, particularly when there are big problems for our nation to solve right now, like the inflation numbers coming out yesterday, what that means for the Reserve Bank, what it means for interest rates even going on hold in places like the US,” Ms Scott said.

“I mean, these are things that Australians want us to be talking about and to stop talking about ourselves.

“But you know what, there are people above my pay grade who clearly don’t agree with that point of view.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Ted O’Brien took a similar view when speaking earlier on Thursday and called colleagues fuelling the chaos “frustrating”.

Mr O’Brien is among Ms Ley’s staunchest supporters, backing her despite her eight-month leadership being plagued by record-low poll numbers, two Coalition splits, shadow cabinet reshuffles and rebellious backbenchers.

Appearing on the ABC, he restated his support for Ms Ley, saying she “absolutely has my support”.

“She was elected leader,” he told the ABC.

“I believe she’s doing a good job and I’ll continue to support her.”

He added that Liberals backgrounding to the media about leadership challenges “aren’t helpful” when the party should be focused on the Albanese government, pointing to this week’s higher-than-expected inflation figures.

He added that the “real issue is the Australian people are feeling poorer because of a very bad Albanese government”.

Also speaking to the ABC, fellow Liberal frontbencher James Paterson echoed Mr O’Brien’s support for Ms Ley, insisting the embattled leader still has the majority of her colleagues’ backing.

“I understand my responsibilities under the Westminster Convention,” he said.

“The first responsibility, if you don’t support any leader, is to tell them, and the second responsibility is to resign.

“I haven’t done either, so you can assume I continue to support Sussan.”

Pressed on whether Ms Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud could bring the Coalition back together, he said it was a matter of principle over personality.

Senator Paterson added that “both the Liberal party room and the National party room agree that we must uphold the conventions of the Westminster system, including shadow cabinet responsibility”.

He said the “Coalition can and should reform regardless of who’s leading us”.

He also confirmed Liberal MPs and senators were having informal conversations with their Nationals counterparts to push for the Coalition’s reunification.

“It is much more preferable, all else being equal, that we fight the next election together, not apart,” Senator Paterson said.

“But if we are to reform, it must be on the basis that everybody, including the National Party, accepts the conventions of shadow cabinet solidarity so that we can be an effective opposition and hopefully also form an effective government.”