Phones run hot during leadership challenges and batteries run low – so low that Liberal numbers man Simon Kennedy had to have a phone charger delivered to him in the middle of Question Time.
Sadly, it didn’t add a jolt to an Opposition whose primary accessory was glum faces.
Labor wag Rob Mitchell’s heckle, “Which one?” to the Speaker calling the Opposition Leader into line said it all.
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The business of Parliament doesn’t respect the high drama of a spill even when that’s the only thing consuming chatter in the corridors.
Liberals had to speak on legislation and quiz bureaucrats in Senate estimates while resignation letter flowed into Sussan Ley’s inbox.
Angus Taylor after resigning from Sussan Ley’s front bench and has gone to the back bench in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra. Credit: Gary Ramage/The West Australian
And as Ms Ley spoke in reply to the prime minister’s closing the gap statement, the looming bulk of supporter Scott Buchholz was behind her in the seat previously occupied by Angus Taylor.
Later, Mr Taylor had to be shown the location of his new backbench seat by close ally Phil Thompson – he hasn’t sat behind the frontbench in a decade.
James Paterson’s thoughtful press conference announcing his resignation left colleagues saying it was the statement Mr Taylor should have given 17 hours earlier.
“Sussan is a decent person. She is a good Liberal. She has been dealt many tough hands in the last nine months, but I no longer have confidence in her ability to turn this ship around,” he said.
But it was his description of Mr Taylor as “the smartest policy brain in the shadow cabinet” that caught the ears of their opponents.
“I don’t know what is more worrying, that it is false or that it might be true,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers told Question Time.
“That sense of entitlement that defines the Member for Hume is only matched by the
cloud of incompetence which surrounds him.”
As for the argument for change, it was up to Mr Taylor to outline his agenda, Senator Paterson said when asked what policies would change with the leader.
“He’s doing that right now with colleagues,” he said.
Question Time in the House of Represenrtatives in Parliament House in Canberra. Angus Taylor, during Question Time in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra. Credit: Gary Ramage/The West Australian
You’d hope so, because the would-be leader didn’t do it to the public when he faced cameras as the daylight was fading on Wednesday night, having holed up in his office for four hours after Question Time.
Anthony Albanese labelled it an “extraordinary” leadership campaign launch.
“It was just the vibe,” the Prime Minister laughed.
“The problem is that whoever sits in that chair, it will just be another Liberal.”
Mr Taylor and his supporters keep speaking of courage but the whole drawn-out debacle has shown more signs of chaos.
He posted an initial video on social media after he told Ms Ley he was quitting, but the decidedly lo-fi vibes mustn’t have passed muster because it was quickly deleted.
On Thursday morning, a far slicker production appeared, showcasing the new haircut Labor has been taunting Mr Taylor about all week, framed against a soft-focus backdrop of a paddock.
“Doesn’t look like this was filmed today Angus?” Energy Minister Chris Bowen commented on the post – one of the few contributions that didn’t just quote the Liberal’s now-legendary self-congratulatory Facebook comment, “Fantastic. Great move. Well done Angus.”
Even those close to Mr Taylor concede the campaign has lacked organisation.
But while they hit the phones to buttress their votes ahead of Friday morning’s party room meetings, they’ll be hoping the change does prove a great move.
