Ley releases video pitch for Lib leadership as senator backs rival

Leadership hopeful Sussan Ley has released a series of videos pitching herself as the best option for the Liberal Party, which is reeling from last weekend’s thumping election loss, while a Liberal senator has thrown her weight behind Ley’s rival, Angus Taylor.

The embattled party will meet on Tuesday to decide who will succeed Peter Dutton after his dramatic election loss. Ley has pitched herself as the person to rebuild trust across all sections of Australian society, particularly among women.

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

“We need to build a new economic narrative, we need new policy offerings to show everyday Australians that we have a plan to help them and their families get ahead,” Ley says in one of the clips that was released to the media in an effort to garner public support before the party-room vote.

“We need to rebuild trust with all sections of Australian society, and my election as leader of the Liberal Party would send a very strong signal that we understand that things must be done differently.

“We have enormous depth of talent in our party room, and I want to draw on all of it over the next three years. We will develop strong policy offerings through robust party room processes so we can demonstrate we will deliver better outcomes for all Australians.”

Senior Liberals who have publicly backed Ley include former premiers Jeff Kennett, Nick Greiner, Barry O’Farrell and Gladys Berejiklian, who argue she would bring the party back to the centre.

Sussan Ley in a still from her video leadership pitch.Credit:

“I’ve been humbled by the overwhelming support that I’ve received so far,” Ley says, “and I’m greatly encouraged by the faith and trust placed in me by so many parliamentary colleagues.

“We need to change, the Liberal Party must respect modern Australia, reflect modern Australia and represent modern Australia.”

The videos were released as Liberal senator Claire Chandler declared support for Taylor, one of the first MPs to publicly back a candidate in the leadership race.

“Angus has experience being shadow treasurer, and he’s a former energy minister. It’s a no-brainer,” Chandler told this masthead.

Taylor said on Friday that he would draw on his background in business to rebuild the party, and endorsed conservative senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to move from the Country Liberal Party to the Liberal Party.

Price, the popular but controversial Indigenous senator, had declared on Thursday she would shift to the Liberal Party and is expected to run as Taylor’s deputy.

At least three Liberal sources, who wished to remain anonymous in order to speak freely, confirmed the race between Ley and Taylor would be tight.

One raised concerns about the viability of Ley as leader, referencing the failed tenure of former British prime minister Liz Truss.

“If Sussan gets it, it’ll be our Liz Truss moment,” they said.

Truss is the shortest-serving British prime minister in history, serving only 49 days in 2022 before having to step down after releasing a low-tax, high-growth economic policy that spooked the markets, caused the pound to plummet and increased cost-of-living pain.

Separately, Nationals senator Matt Canavan announced on Friday that he would be running to take over the leadership from David Littleproud.

Senator Claire Chandler will back Angus Taylor in the Liberal leadership contest.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Littleproud’s failure to stop Price’s defection had weakened him, Nationals MPs argued privately, as Canavan pitched himself to lead on ending climate commitments.

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