Ley vows ‘I’m up for the job’ as coalition reunites

By Jacob Shteyman and Tess Ikonomou

Sussan Ley insists she will lead the coalition to the next federal election as dire opinion polling raises the prospect of an imminent challenge to her position.

The latest Newspoll published in The Australian, has revealed Ms Ley is the least popular leader of a major party in 23 years, despite negotiating a reunification for the coalition following a bitter split lasting almost three weeks.

The polling has prompted speculation it could give Angus Taylor the justification he needs to challenge for the Liberal leadership as early as this week.

Ms Ley said she will hold on as opposition leader until the next election.

“I’ve been elected by my party room. I’m up for the job, we’re up for the job, and we know that we have to hold this government to account,” she told Nine’s Today on Monday.

On Sunday night, the polling showed the coalition’s primary vote had plunged to a new low of 18 per cent, as 62 per cent of voters said they were dissatisfied with Ms Ley’s performance.

Liberal senator Jane Hume said voters had switched off from the coalition as the conservative partnership had become a “rabble”.

“Unless something changes, we will be wiped out,” she told Sky News.

“I do believe that it’s time for the leaders to take a good, hard look at themselves and decide what it is that they’re going to do to get us out of this hole.”

Mr Taylor has firmed as a potential challenger after fellow leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie bowed out of the race.

With both men vying for the backing of the Liberals’ conservative wing, Mr Hastie’s withdrawal cleared the way for the former shadow treasurer by averting a split in the right-faction vote.

Liberal sources said they thought Mr Taylor could move a spill as soon as the coming week if opinion polls showed the coalition falling even further behind One Nation.

One Nation has surged to 27 per cent, a record high and within six per cent of Labor which sits at 33 per cent.

Recent opinion polling by Redbridge and DemosAU also had One Nation ahead or on par with the coalition.

Mr Taylor failed to put rumours of a spill to bed on Friday, telling Sydney radio 2GB he did have leadership ambitions.

Pressed on whether Ms Ley would still be leader in a week, he said a coup was not in the works but conceded he had been having conversations with his colleagues about the party’s future.