Australian news and politics live: Leadership spill confirmed, Sussan Ley, Angus Taylor to go head-to-head

WA Senator Dean Smith has become the 11th Liberal politician to quit the frontbench, despite telling ABC this morning he had votes for Sussan Ley before and would do so again.

Senator Smith wrote to Ms Ley tonight.

“After careful consideration and discussions with the Western Austalian Liberal Party Members, I have decided to support the spill motion and Angus Taylor ins his bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia,” he wrote.

“On this basis, I resign with immediate effect from my portfolios...”

It’s going to be a long night for Susssan Ley.

Northern Territory senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says she’s confident Angus Taylor has the numbers to roll Sussan Ley as Liberal leader on Friday morning.

Speaking on Sky News, Senator Price said she was among several colleagues “chomping at the bit” to present a stronger front to the Australian people.

“We need to rally the troops,” she said.

“I guess we’ll wait and see after the leadership spill itself but I know that people like Andrew Hastie, certainly Sarah Henderson and myself have been chomping at the bit to get out there and be in a stronger position to be able to serve in Opposition for the betterment of this country.”

Senator Price had been on a joint ticket with Mr Taylor when he failed in his bid to become leader after the 2025 Federal election.

Queensland Senator Paul Scarr has warned the potential replacement of Sussan Ley with Angus Tayor in a leadership spill tomorrow could be “weaponised brutally” by Labor.

Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Thursday afternoon, the LNP Senator and Ley support warned that criticism from opponents in question time was just a taste of what could come.

“I have absolutely no doubt that if Sussan loses tomorrow, the fact that the Liberal Party has replaced its first woman leader after less than 12 months, will be weaponised brutally, brutally by our political opponents,” he said.

“I have absolutely no doubt about that, and I think we’ve been seeing that in question time over the course of the week.

“And if Sussan is not the leader mid-morning tomorrow, I think we’ll see more of that up to every day to the next election.

“That’s simply a brutal political reality. I don’t personally accept that. That’s simply the way I see things. I personally judge people on the basis of their own character and their own performance.

“But it’s a brutal political reality… it will be exploited by our political opponents.

“Whatever happens tomorrow, we’ve got to unite behind the leader and present the united front.”

NT senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says gender in the debate about replacing Sussan Ley as leader with Angus Taylor was a “moot point”.

Speaking on Sky News on Thursday evening, the National-turned-Liberal recruit brought up her own sacking from the frontbench after refusing to publicly back Ms Ley.

“I think that is a moot point, and it’s all about competency,” Senator Price said.

“Look this argument about, you know, gender and gender quotas… I will add that some of my colleagues, I suppose, should remember that they didn’t have any qualms in throwing under the bus their first indigenous female shadow defence personnel and defence industry spokeswoman.”

WA Liberal Senator Matt O’Sullivan says the momentum for a leadership challenge isn’t about gender and more about “clarity of vision” and “mounting a compelling case” ahead of the next election.

“I can understand how this can be looked through gendered lens. But the reality is that Australians are speaking very loudly through us, and I know that really what they’re looking for is clarity of vision,” Senator O’Sullivan said.

“They’re looking for policies that it’s going to matter to them.

“They want help in making ends meet, and right now they’re not getting that.”

At last count we’re looking at 10 Liberal MPs who have quit the opposition frontbench.

This leaves 23 yet to make a move.

The names in bold are the politicians who have stepped aside.

1. The Hon Sussan Ley MP
2. Senator James Paterson
3. Melissa McIntosh MP
4. Senator Kerrynne Liddle
5. Senator Maria Kovacic
6. Zoe McKenzie MP
7. Ted O’Brien MP
8. Senator Andrew Bragg
9. The Hon Tim Wilson MP
10. Senator Dave Sharma
11. Simon Kennedy MP
12. Cameron Caldwell MP
13. Angie Bell MP
14. Senator Matt O’Sullivan
15. Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
16. The Hon Jason Wood MP
17. Senator Dean Smith
18. Senator the Hon Anne Ruston
19. Phillip Thompson OAM MP
20. The Hon Angus Taylor MP
21. The Hon Melissa Price MP
22. Senator the Hon James McGrath
23. The Hon Dan Tehan MP
24. The Hon Alex Hawke MP
25. Senator Claire Chandler
26. Senator the Hon Jonathon Duniam
27. Senator Paul Scarr
28. Julian Leeser MP
29. The Hon Scott Buchholz MP
30. Senator Leah Blyth
31. Andrew Wallace MP
32. Aaron Violi MP

Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan has become the latest Liberal to quit the frontbench.

He’s also the first to formally announce he will run for the deputy leadership position.

“If I am successful, there are four priorities I will make my focus. We need to immediately unify, hold this dreadful Albanese Labor Government to account, develop a policy manifesto true to our values and make us match fit to win elections,” he said in a statement.

Mr Tehan was key to helping Sussan Ley and the party room navigate a pathway to dumping the net zero emissions by 2050 target while keeping the moderates on board with the energy policy.

Supporters of Sussan Ley are acknowledging that momentum is moving towards her rival Angus Taylor ahead of Friday’s Liberal leadership showdown.

Throughout the day several conservative members of the opposition frontbench including Michaelia Cash, James Paterson and James McGrath have announced their resignations, declaring they have lost confidence in Ms Ley.

Senator McGrath has become the first former Ley backer to declare he will vote for a spill at tomorrow’s meeting.

Members of Mr Taylor’s camp believe he now comfortably has the numbers to defeat Ms Ley, who has been leader for nine months.

One of the most senior figures in Sussan Ley’s shadow ministry has quit the frontbench as Liberal MPs prepare to vote on the leadership on Friday.

Shadow Foreign Minister Michaelia Cash, who is the Opposition’s leader in the Senate, confirmed her move to the backbench shortly after Question Time had finished in the House of Representatives.

Her announcement follows the resignations of senior colleagues James Paterson, James McGrath and Jonno Duniam.

Liberal Senator James McGrath has been the latest to resign from Sussan Ley’s shadow ministry, as leadership aspirant Angus Taylor tightens his run for the top gig.

In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, Senator McGrath said while he realised “this news won’t please everyone” he insisted it was in the best interest of the party to mount a “strong and effective Opposition”.

“I have made this decision as I believe it is in the best interest of Queensland, Australia and the Liberal National Party,” he said.

“I want to acknowledge the service of Sussan Ley as Leader of the Opposition, and I want to thank her for the privilege of serving in the Shadow Cabinet.

“We must take the fight to Labor and I have made this decision with that at the forefront.”