Deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien has declared that Angus Taylor should quit the frontbench if he is working on a leadership challenge, as politicians prepare to return to Canberra.
Expectations that the right faction will mount a challenge to leader Sussan Ley in the coming week are cooling, but it’s still an open question whether she will still be in the job by the end of the parliamentary fortnight.
The future of the Coalition is also up in the air, with mixed views among Liberals and Nationals about how quickly their parties should try and repair the split.
Sign up to The Nightly’s newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.
Mr Taylor is the right’s putative candidate after WA MP Andrew Hastie issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying he wouldn’t contest the leadership because he didn’t have enough support from colleagues.
Mr O’Brien said on Sunday it was his “running assumption” that Mr Taylor still backed Ms Ley because he hadn’t quit shadow cabinet.
MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos JANUARY 29, 2026: Photo of Angus Taylor seen arriving to Professor Dr. Katrina Jane Allen’s memorial in Melbourne.
NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: Luis Ascui Newswire/NCA NewsWire
“Angus has continued to make positive contributions, especially in the leadership team, over recent days and weeks,” he told ABC’s Insiders.
“Angus is very aware, as is everybody in shadow cabinet, that if you do not support the leader, you let the leader know, and you stand aside. He hasn’t done that.”
While the Nationals’ party room will deal with a spill motion attempting to oust leader David Littleproud on Monday afternoon, the Liberals are now unlikely to follow suit on Tuesday.
“As for whether or not there will be a challenge, I don’t believe we’re walking into a sitting period where there will be – but I don’t know the future either,” Mr O’Brien said.
Leading moderate Liberal Anne Ruston similarly didn’t expect a challenge to come this week.
“There’s obviously been speculation but I, quite frankly, believe entirely that Sussan Ley has the support of the party room and that she will remain our leader into the future,” she told Sky News.
“Being the leader in Opposition is always going to be a really tough gig… and it’s made doubly tough after an election result like we did last May. So I think Sussan’s been doing an amazing job of being the leader in the toughest time that I can remember being in the Parliament.”
Opposition MPs want to keep the focus on an expected Reserve Bank interest rate rise on Tuesday afternoon and the Government’s handling of rebounding inflation.
