Sussan Ley and Angus Taylor to run for Liberal leadership

Matt Canavan has made a surprise bid for the National Party federal leadership, as Sussan Ley and Angus Taylor battle it out for Liberal leader. Here’s the latest.

Both Coalition top jobs are set to be contested next week with Matt Canavan challenging David Littleproud for the National Party leadership while Sussan Ley and Angus Taylor are set to face off to become federal Liberal leader.

Queensland Senator Canavan confirmed he would challenge Mr Littleproud as the Nats federal chief, with a party room meeting set for Monday.

Senator Canavan told The Australian: “On Monday, I plan to stand for the leadership of the Nationals party to bring back our fighting spirit. Only if we fight, will we have a fighting chance”.

“David Littleproud can be enormously proud of his role in defeating the Voice, putting nuclear power on the agenda and having divestiture powers adopted as Coalition policy for the first time.

“But this debate is not about protecting his job or mine. This is about fighting for the jobs and livelihoods of the many people we represent.”

Senator Matt Canavan. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

It is unclear if successful whether Senator Canavan would seek a seat in the House of Representatives, as all 15 previous leaders of the Country and National parties have been lower house MPs.

Meanwhile, the Liberal leadership is looking likely to be a two-horse race with Wannon MP Dan Tehan and Western Australian MP Andrew Hastie ruling themselves out of the race. Northern Territory senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s switch this week from the National to the Liberal Party room has been speculated as a move to be part of a Taylor leadership ticket.

If either Ms Ley or Mr Taylor are appointed by their parliamentary colleagues, they will become the first regional MP to lead the Liberal Party since Malcolm Fraser nearly half a century ago.

Both Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley are in the frame to replace ousted former opposition leader Peter Dutton. Picture: Nikki Short

Former Victorian Farmers Federation president Simon Ramsay said both Ms Ley and Mr Taylor would bolster the Liberal Party’s standing in regional Australia.

Having previously served as a state Liberal MP, Mr Ramsay said rural advocacy need not be the exclusive domain of National Party MPs within the Coalition.

“We’ve had a long line of federal leaders from Sydney — Scott Morrison had a Sydney seat, Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott, John Howard — all represented Sydney electorates,” Mr Ramsay said.

“Peter Dutton had a suburban Brisbane seat. So getting that representation for farmers, first-hand knowledge of agriculture, and regional issues generally would be really beneficial to the Liberal Party’s standing in regional Australia.

“This leadership contest has highlighted how there are plenty of Liberal MPs representing rural seats and it’s not just the National Party representing the interests of regional Australians.”

Following Mr Dutton’s loss of his Brisbane electorate of Dickson, Ms Ley has served as interim Coalition and Liberal leader until the Tuesday ballot officially confirms his successor.

Representing the regional NSW electorate of Farrer since 2001, Ms Ley would be the first female federal opposition leader as well as the first woman to lead the federal Liberal Party.

The 63-year-old former farmer was born in Nigeria to British parents and migrated to Australia in her teenage years.

Mr Taylor represents another regional NSW electorate, Hume, which covers Goulburn and the hinterland southwest of Sydney.

The 58-yeat-old’s father previously served as vice president of the National Farmers Federation.

Apart from Ms Ley and Mr Taylor, the only other speculated leadership candidate is Goldstein MP Tim Wilson, who won a nailbiter contest in the suburban Melbourne constituency against independent MP Zoe Daniel.