By Grace Crivellaro
Senior Liberals have talked down the chance of an imminent move against embattled Opposition Leader Sussan despite one rival remaining in the running for her job.
Key backers of Ms Ley acknowledged there was frustration within the party over the coalition’s second break-up, but they insisted there was no appetite for a destabilising change at the top.
“I don’t expect a challenge to leadership at all,” Liberal senator Anne Ruston told Sky News on Sunday ahead of politicians’ return to parliament.
“I quite frankly believe that Sussan Ley has the support of the party room and that she will remain our leader into the future.”
Ms Ley could face a leadership challenge when parliament resumes on Tuesday, but the possibility has faded after one conservative rival, West Australian MP Andrew Hastie, declared he did not have the numbers to contest for the role.
Her other primary rival, frontbencher Angus Taylor, has not publicly stated whether he plans to trigger a spill.
Deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien also poured cold water on the chance of an imminent push to remove Ms Ley, although he left the door open to the possibility of a later challenge.
“I don’t believe we’re walking into a sitting period where there will be (a leadership challenge), but I don’t know the future either,” he told ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday.
Leadership speculation ramped up when Mr Hastie, Mr Taylor and MPs from the Liberals’ conservative ranks were seen meeting in Melbourne on Thursday, before the funeral for late MP Katie Allen.
Mr O’Brien said he did not know what was discussed at the meeting, but the convention within the party was for frontbenchers to step aside if they did not support their leader.
“Angus (Taylor) hasn’t done that, so my running assumption is he continues to support Sussan Ley,” he said.
Nationals leader David Littleproud is facing a spill motion from Queensland MP Colin Boyce on Monday, but the move is considered unlikely to succeed and might not receive the required support to trigger a leadership vote.
Senator Matt Canavan said he believed Mr Boyce was genuine in wanting the coalition to get back together after the spectacular divorce spurred by a row over hate crime legislation, which the Nationals refused to join their Liberal colleagues in supporting.
“I don’t think the spill will get up,” Senator Canavan said, adding he would not throw his name into the Nationals leadership mix.
Mr O’Brien said he hoped the coalition would be able to reunify after the parties’ issues were thrashed out.
Ms Ley on Friday gave the Nationals a week to reconcile before she cemented changes to the front bench by replacing shadow cabinet members from the rural party.
“You can’t just come back together willy-nilly and hope for the best,” Mr O’Brien said.
“It’s an open door from Sussan Ley. If David Littleproud is prepared to walk in … I’m sure together, they’ll come through with the best approach moving forward.”
Despite describing herself as a “coalitionist”, Senator Ruston said history showed the Liberals could still win elections without the Nationals.
The most important thing for the Liberals was to provide certainty to Australians by presenting a credible opposition, she said.
Negotiations on reforming the coalition have been put on hold until the Nationals’ leadership partyroom meeting has been held.
Ms Ley has named an interim shadow cabinet before a permanent front bench is locked in and the coalition split cemented.