'Not personal': MP breaks ranks in leadership battle

A Liberal MP has thrown his support behind conservative agitator Andrew Hastie to lead the party ahead of a possible spill.

Ben Small, a backbencher from Mr Hastie's home state of Western Australia, said it was time for "generational change" within the Liberal Party to help win back support from voters.

"I have come to the deeply considered view that Andrew Hastie is the right person to lead the Liberal Party, should an opportunity to lead arise," he told AAP.

"He brings courage, conviction and a demonstrated capacity to shift the national conversation that I have not seen in other highly credible people within the Liberal Party.

"This is not personal, it's just a judgment I've made about the business of politics."

Mr Hastie's supporters have been attempting to rally votes over the past week, but a deadlock with rival leadership contender Angus Taylor has left the party's conservative wing divided.

The former SAS soldier's camp had been pushing to spill the leadership next week.

Multiple Liberal sources have told AAP Ms Ley's leadership is terminal, but the likelihood of her being toppled in the coming days is shrinking because a consensus conservative candidate has not emerged.

The two potential challengers, along with other key powerbrokers, met in Melbourne on Thursday for secret talks ahead of a memorial service for late Liberal MP Katie Allen, who died from a rare form of cancer last year.

Mr Hastie's supporters claims he has more votes than Mr Taylor.

They are hopeful of striking a deal which would allow Mr Hastie to take the leadership, while potentially allowing Mr Taylor to take a portfolio of his choice.

Ms Ley's supporters insist she can remain in the job for now, claiming the conservative insurrection has been messy and disorganised.

Despite attending the Melbourne meeting with the two leadership contenders, Liberal frontbencher James Paterson said Ms Ley had backing in the party.

"I can't predict what all of my colleagues may or may not do, but I can say that, in my assessment, Sussan continues to enjoy the support of the majority of the party room," he told ABC radio prior to the meeting.

Deputy Liberal leader Ted O'Brien said he had not heard from other MPs about a possible challenge to the leadership when parliament resumed on Tuesday.

"I don't believe there'll be a challenge next week ... I'm in close contact with my colleagues," he told ABC TV on Thursday.

"I haven't spoken to any colleague who believes that Sussan didn't make the right call last week. She demonstrated enormous strength and dignity in a very difficult situation with the National Party."

Mr O'Brien said both parties would be stronger in a coalition, but a reunion would not be expedited for the sake of it.

"We are best served by a coalition government, the Liberals and Nationals working together; at the moment, that reunion hasn't happened," he said.

"I believe it will at some point. It can't be forced. It's got to be at the right time for the right reason."

Ms Ley has yet to update her full shadow cabinet following the split with the Nationals.

It means shadow portfolios such as emergency management and trade are unfilled due to those roles previously being held by Nationals members.

Senator Paterson said it was likely the Liberals would appoint acting spokespeople for the missing portfolios before parliament resumed on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Liberals were a "mess".

"Anyone can see that", he told reporters in Cairns, criticising the opposition for focusing on internal infighting on the same day as Dr Allen's memorial service.

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