Federal Election 2022: Liberal MPs reflect a day after brutal loss

A Coalition split cannot be ruled out as Liberal MPs reflect following an election wipe-out and Barnaby Joyce reveals his immediate plans.

Liberal MPs have begun a post-mortem as they nurse their wounds from Saturday’s brutal election result.

Simon Birmingham has left the door open for a Coalition split after the wipe-out.

A swathe of moderate Liberal seats have been lost to climate-driven independents and Greens candidates, suggesting middle Australia was unhappy with the climate target set by the Coalition.

Senator Birmingham conceded the Coalition had lost support given its small climate target, which was the result of Liberals bending to the National party over net zero.

He added the Coalition did need to embrace a higher 2030 target.

When asked by ABC Insiders host David Speers whether the Coalition should “stick together or break apart”, Senator Birmingham would not be drawn.

“The Coalition has served Australia very well through our history … I would hope that we can continue to work together,” Senator Birmingham told ABC.

“Obviously the National Party needs to look at where the Liberal Party has felt this pain and reflect upon how it is that we, together, can manage to form a majority government in the future and what will be necessary for us to do so.”

Simon Birmingham has not ruled out a Coalition split. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Speers prodded further, asking Senator Birmingham to rule out a Coalition split.

“The Liberal Party needs to always stand for Liberal values,” Senator Birmingham responded.

“We need to make sure we win back voters who should hold those Liberal values.”

Barnaby Joyce said his future as the leader of the junior Coalition partner would be a decision for the Nationals party room to make.

“I’m always, with those things, I’m just going to wait and give the party room that privilege of not sort of (having it) ventilated publicly. It’s incredibly important,” Mr Joyce told reporters in Tamworth on Sunday after being pressed on his plans.

“We’ve got people at this point in time, we don’t know whether they have been elected or not. And I’m not going to start … campaigning or doing anything like that I’ll let things settle.”

Mr Joyce also sought to downplay his part in the Liberals losing five inner city seats to independent candidates.

“I’m in the Nationals. And the Liberals fight Liberals’ battles and the Nationals fight the Nationals’ ones. And the Nationals, we held every seat, in fact, our party room is bigger,” he said.

Mr Joyce suggested people who voted for independents would have to reflect on whether the Coalition would become more conservative after the loss of more moderate Liberals.

“It’s rather surprising where the moderate side of the party has basically been put to the side by people who said that they’re moderates.”

Asked if the Coalition’s historic defeat was Scott Morrison’s “fault”, Mr Joyce said: “There’s no point going through recriminations”.

Asked about the future of the Coalition and whether there needed to be a greater distinction between the Liberal and Nationals parties, Mr Joyce said: “I’ll leave that for the discussions for my party room as well”.

Mr Joyce, pictured on the campaign trail in Alice Springs, says his future as Nationals leader will be up to the party room. Picture: Lee Robinson

Mr Frydenberg revealed said lessons had to be learned within the Liberal Party after their historic loss on Saturday evening.

The former treasurer said it had been particularly challenging for his party in Victoria for many years.

He said: “It actually goes back to Andrew Peacock’s time, before we were winning the majority of seats here.

“There were swings to the Coalition in some of the other suburban seats, and there are probably various factors at play there. But clearly there is a bit of introspection and a lot of analysis about the result at the federal level here in Victoria.

“We can learn lessons not only for our own federal election, which comes around in three years’ time, but for the next state election before the end of the year.

“Again, there will be a time to analyse the results and go through the lessons to be learned, clearly, the people have spoken.

“And the Coalition needs to hear what has been said and to act on it.”

Josh Frydenberg said it had been a difficult road in Victoria for sometime. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Outgoing home affairs minister Karen Andrews says the Coalition will need to reflect on its policies after losing seats to the Greens and the teal independents.

Ms Andrews was re-elected on Saturday night to continue as the Liberal National Party MP for the McPherson electorate in southeast Queensland.

The Liberals have lost five inner city seats across Victoria, NSW and Western Australia to the teal independents and at least one inner Brisbane seat to the Greens.

Ms Andrews said the result meant there was reflection to be done on why the Coalition was shedding voters.

“What’s important is that we need to look at what is happening in the inner city seats who have a groundswell of support for the Greens party and for the … teal independents,” she told reporters on the Gold Coast.

“It is important that we look at that very closely and see what the applications are in relation to our policies.”

Ms Andrews wouldn’t be drawn on the future of the Liberal National Party in Queensland, where the two parties are merged rather than operating in a Coalition like in other states.

“I won’t comment on that, that is a matter for our party to look at and consider,” she said.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews was re-elected. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Veteran Queensland MP Warren Entsch has committed to serving a full term despite the Coalition being chucked into Opposition, saying the party had “a lot of reflection” to do.

Mr Entsch, who has held the far north Queensland seat of Leichhardt on and off since 1996, is one of the few remaining moderates within the decimated Liberal Party.

He faced a challenge from Labor’s Elida Faith – who Mr Entsch said he had great respect for — but ultimately suffered only a 2 per cent swing against him.

Mr Entsch had reneged on his commitment to retire, fuelling rumours the Coalition going into Opposition would open the door to him leaving despite retaining Leichhardt against the odds.

“I don’t do things half measure,” he said.

“I’m good for the long run.”

Warren Entsch is staying put despite the Coalition’s brutal loss. Picture: Brian Cassey

Mr Entsch said the idea he had committed to stay on for the 2022 election was because the then Prime Minister had requested it of him was false.

“In 2019 I said righto, I’ll hang up the spurs, spend my last term focusing on climate and on plastics,” he said.

“When I made that commitment I did not know there was a pandemic sitting around the corner … and I think (Cairns and the areas of Leichhardt) will be the last ones to recover).

“My constituents pleaded with me not to step down, you know, they had a very strong argument.

“I felt I owed it to my community to give it a go.”

Mr Entsch confirmed he spoke to Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg about his decision not to retire, and while they were excited he informed them it would come with “costs”- and that he wanted the reinsurance pool and microgrids for the Daintree made a reality before the election.

Mr Entsch paid homage to his Labor challenger Ms Faith, saying she was an “absolute delight” to campaign against and it was clear her volunteers outnumbered his on the ground five to one.

Originally published as Federal Election 2022: Liberal MPs reflect a day after brutal loss