Ley gets backing from party elders as Liberal leadership battle grows hostile

Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley has won support from three former Liberal premiers in the quest to lead the party out of its sweeping defeat, with Jeff Kennett, Nick Greiner and Barry O’Farrell naming her as the best choice.

The former premiers went public with their support as another senior Liberal, former party president Shane Stone, also named Ley as the best leader to win back voters who deserted the party at the ballot box.

Liberal Party leadership candidates Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley.Credit: Eamon Gallagher, James Brickwood

Others are throwing their support behind the shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, in a contest that threatens ongoing stability by pitting conservatives against moderates in an increasingly hostile leadership battle, with files circulated highlighting rival weaknesses.

Kennett, who was premier of Victoria from 1992 to 1999, said the Liberals had a chance to rebuild within three years if they learnt the lessons from what he called the “amateurish” campaign to the federal election.

“I am not one of those who believe that the future for the party is lost or necessarily will take two elections before we are again a viable alternative,” he said. “I would very much endorse Sussan Ley coming in as the leader.

“Why do I say that? One, I like the fact that as deputy, she was a loyal deputy. Secondly, she has a great deal of parliamentary experience. She’s a very rounded person.

“My experience over life is that women are more consultative, they listen more, they think more than a lot of men.

“I’m not suggesting she should be the next leader because she’s female – I’m saying it’s because I think she’s the best person for the job.”

Greiner, who was premier of NSW from 1988 to 1992 and federal president of the Liberal Party from 2017 to 2020, said the key question for the party was whether it wanted to change in response to the verdict on Saturday.

Greiner said the party should set a course to be “warm and dry” on policy – that is, liberal on social issues and conservative on economic issues – and needed a leader who could enact change.

“I do think that Sussan is the change candidate,” he said. “I think that in the future the party needs to be liberal, sticking to its values, and it needs to be sensible, and it needs to be in the centre.

“The notion that you can get anywhere by not being sensible and centric is, I think, pretty bizarre.”

O’Farrell, who was premier of NSW from 2011 to 2014, said the two main parties tended to move to their opposite extremes in times of defeat but had to learn from this mistake.

“When they lose, Labor goes left. When we lose, we go right,” he said. “And guess what – we only ever win when we’re back in the centre. It’s a really easy thing to plot over the years.”

O’Farrell said it would be wrong to write off the Liberal Party, but he said it had to win back the community it wanted to serve. “If I was in the room, I’d be putting my hand up for Sussan,” he said.

Stone, who was chief minister of the Northern Territory from 1995 to 1999 and president of the Liberal Party from 1999 to 2005, said Ley was the best choice to lead a “rebound” for the party.

“I think there is a great opportunity here. Whether it can be achieved in one term or two will depend on a lot of unknowns,” he said.

Stone said the Country Liberal Party had fallen to as low as two members in the NT parliament but had won the territory election last year.

“If I was a young person of a conservative bent and wanted a parliamentary career, now is the time to get involved because a number of these Labor members will be oncers,” he said, using a term for MPs who last only one term.

“It always works out that way. I think Sussan Ley has had a very good parliamentary career and I would have liked to have seen more of her in the campaign.

“I think that she’s a standout. I stand firmly with her, but I don’t have a vote on this.”

Hopes of a potential deal to avert a Liberal leadership contest were extinguished on Wednesday as the contest turned into a mudslinging war. Dutton, who returned to Canberra on Wednesday to thank his staff, will not be involved in the leadership contest.

Peter Dutton arrives in Canberra on WednesdayCredit: James Brickwood

Taylor’s troops on the right flank of the party fought back against public and private criticism of him since election day by sending out documents highlighting Ley’s gaffes and lack of policy in the women’s portfolio she held last term.

Earlier in the week, Ley’s supporters were distributing a file highlighting Taylor’s policy record and casting him as opposed to climate action.

The race between the two is tight, and both sides are fighting hard for the backing of the third contender, Dan Tehan, who is mulling a run as deputy.

Taylor has been telling MPs he was “handcuffed” on economic policy by Dutton and his office, while Ley has been phoning colleagues claiming she will “reform the party”, democratise policy development and boost female representation. A party room meeting to decide a new leader is expected next week.

The document Ley’s enemies circulated criticised her over reports in this masthead stating she had offered frontbench roles for MPs such as Jason Wood and Scott Buchholz. Her factional ally Alex Hawke has been offered the defence portfolio, one MP said.

On Wednesday night, a graphics-heavy check list was circulated by Taylor’s supporters contrasting the shadow treasurer’s support for Israel and fundraising ability with Ley’s, while noting her 2017 Gold Coast expenses scandal, lack of international experience and the swing against her in her seat.

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