Լեյը հրաժարվում է պատասխանել «լավ սենատոր» Հենդերսոնին, երբ լիբերալները սառը ջուր են լցնում ղեկավարության շահարկումների վրա

• Topic:Federal Government

4h ago4 hours agoFri 7 Nov 2025 at 2:47am

In short:

Sussan Ley has refused to remark on comments from a colleague questioning whether she had the support of the Liberal Party.

Liberal MPs have distanced themselves from comments by Sarah Henderson, saying Ms Ley still has support.

What's next?

Liberals will return to parliament on Wednesday to finalise the party's position on a net zero climate target, which has been the source of significant internal division.

Sussan Ley has refused to bite on speculation about her leadership, after a Liberal colleague suggested she was losing the support of her party.

Senator Sarah Henderson, who has been at odds with Ms Ley since being dropped from the frontbench following the party's May election defeat, said this morning she could no longer pretend "everything is OK".

"It's not OK … We've had this policy vacuum for too many months," Senator Henderson told Sky News.

"I do believe she is losing support because of what's happened since she became leader, and we are all working very hard to get our party back on track."

Asked about the remarks, Ms Ley would not offer a response.

"I am not going to comment on commentary, you wouldn't expect me to," Ms Ley said.

"I'm not focused on comments that other people relay to me, or that might be made in a variety of contexts. The only thing I care about is working hard for the Australian people.

"I value every single member of my team, including the good senator that you've just mentioned. In order to interrogate her view, you should probably ask her."

Liberals back in Ley

Ms Ley only narrowly won a leadership ballot against challenger Angus Taylor after former Liberal leader Peter Dutton unexpectedly lost his seat at the federal election — a shift in support of just a handful of MPs could be enough to topple her.

But Liberal colleagues did not line up with Senator Henderson this morning after her comments, including Mr Taylor, who said he believed Ms Ley would see out the term as leader.

"I think Sussan is well established as leader and will be with us through to the next election," Mr Taylor said.

Senator Jane Hume, who was also ousted from the Liberal frontbench when Ms Ley became leader, said she did not agree that Ms Ley was losing support.

"I think Sussan has been really consistent in her messaging since she was elected. She has said that we want lower emissions but not at any cost," Senator Hume said.

"I think it is a good thing that Sussan Ley is going to bring this to a head."

Others, including deputy leader Ted O'Brien, Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan, Shadow Education Minister Julian Leeser, conservative South Australian MP Tony Pasin and moderate Dave Sharma disagreed with Senator Henderson's assessment.

Other Liberals who the ABC has spoken to say they had not expected Senator Henderson's comments this morning, and were unsure what had motivated them.

Multiple sources have dismissed speculation that Senator Henderson's comments were paving the way for a challenge to Ms Ley.

Shadow Environment Minister Angie Bell said this week Ms Ley deserved a year in the job, and "clear air".

"I think she deserves to have a fair go. I think she deserves to have 12 months in the job where she can prosecute her case, speak directly to the Australian people and have the clear air to do that," Ms Bell told Sky News.

But while two of Ms Ley's most likely challengers, Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor, have both publicly ruled out a leadership challenge this year, the door remains open for a challenge next year if internal divisions cannot be cauterised and dismal polling turned around.

After Mr Taylor and Mr Hastie were spotted dining together during the sitting week, Mr Taylor dismissed suggestions their dinner at Chong Co Thai Restaurant in Kingston, Canberra, was at all related to a plot to oust the Liberal leader.

Liberals will return to Canberra on Wednesday for a partyroom meeting to finally settle a position on whether to keep or ditch a commitment to reach net zero by 2050.

Shadow ministers will consider that on Thursday, before three senior Liberals and three senior Nationals sit down together to negotiate a Coalition position.

It is widely expected that the Liberals will follow the Nationals to dump a formal net zero target — though moderates in the party have urged that "net zero" not be abandoned entirely.