Sussan Ley digs in as Simon Holmes a Court circles
Sussan Ley has defended her leadership amid mounting pressure over net zero policy, as Climate 200’s Simon Holmes a Court warns of electoral consequences.
Sussan Ley has tried to brush aside mounting pressure on her leadership, declaring she will always say there cannot be net zero at any cost, as Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court signals he will use Liberal backtracking on climate policy in vulnerable seats.
As she stands poised to dump net zero despite concerns from her closest moderate supporters in the party, the Opposition Leader in a round of media interviews said she remained confident she would lead the depleted Liberals to the next election and brushed off a threat of supporters of rivals Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie coalescing behind one candidate.
Ms Ley on Wednesday said her MPs were clear-eyed that Labor’s net-zero approach was not working, but refused to say if she would ultimately dump the 2050 target.
“I’ve always said we cannot have net zero at any cost. I said that on day one of my leadership, I’ll say it six months later,” she told ABC radio. “The one thing people are telling us, as members of the opposition travel around the country, is how difficult it is to meet the 40 per cent increase in energy costs they’re experiencing under this Labor government.”
The Opposition Leader dismissed the idea of an imminent challenge from either Mr Taylor or Mr Hastie, who it is understood would both seriously consider running if a leadership spill occurs in the next year. “I’m completely confident and I have a smile on my face as I answer this because I know the media and commentary does get a little bit excited from time to time,” she said.
Mr Holmes a Court, who orchestrated the rise of the teal independents at the 2022 and 2025 elections, said the Liberal Party was facing an “existential moment”. Writing in The Australian, he said “more and more disillusioned Liberal voters are reaching out to Climate 200”.
“More and more community groups are beginning to organise new independent campaigns. If an election were held today, polling suggests as many as 10 more independents could join the crossbench,” Mr Holmes a Court wrote.
“This is the Liberal Party’s existential moment. Either it asserts its independence, reclaims its credibility and builds a coherent climate and energy policy or it allows itself to be dragged into the political wilderness by a party that represents about 7 per cent of the national vote. The pattern is unmistakeable. Goldstein, Wentworth, Kooyong, Mackellar, once safe Liberal seats, rejected candidates tied too closely to (Barnaby) Joyce and (Matt) Canavan’s brand of climate denialism. If the Nationals are calling the shots, those voters will not return.”
Mr Holmes a Court said if Mr Taylor ousted Ms Ley, he would need to “decide whether he wants to be the leader of a modern, electable centre-right party or the front man for the Nationals’ agenda”.
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