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

Another two senior members of Sussan Ley’s frontbench have resigned from the Shadow Ministry ahead of a formal challenge from Angus Taylor for the Liberal leadership.

Senator Jonno Duniam, the shadow minister for home affairs and manager of Opposition business in the Senate and Senator James Paterson, shadow minister for finance and a member of the leadership group, have jointly resigned this morning.

Senator Paterson is a key ally of Mr Taylor and is a central figure in the push to oust Ms Ley, who is the Liberal Party’s first female leader.

The Liberal Party are now locked in limbo over the timing of a party room meeting, which will decide leadership aspirant Angus Taylor’s fate.

Mr Taylor’s resignation on Wednesday evening and his public declaration in a social media video on Thursday morning that he will challenge Sussan Ley will trigger a party room meeting either today or tomorrow.

Ms Ley’s camp expects her to make a call in the next couple of hours.

It’s understood Mr Taylor’s camp would like her to pull the trigger this evening, with a Taylor-Hume joint ticket looking increasingly more likely.

Some senators locked in Estimates hearings are, however, pushing for the challenge to be held on Friday.

It’s expected Ms Ley won’t use the list of names approach Malcolm Turnbull wielded in 2018.

A Ley ally told The Nightly that Mr Taylor would bring baggage rather than renewal to the party.

“What will be a big deal would be the baggage that would come with the very low economic credibility that would bring,” the Ley ally said.

WA Liberal MP Ben Small has told reporters outside Parliament House that conservative leadership rival Angus Taylor “is the man” needed to run the Liberal party.

“I think that we’re at a crossroads as a party,” the Forrest MP said.

“For us to be a relevant political force that fights for middle Australia and the dreams of home ownership, a strong economy, and a strong Australia — Angus is the man.”

Mr Taylor handed in his shadow ministry registration to Sussan Ley — the party’s first female leader — on Wednesday night ahead of his expected challenge at their next party room.

WA senator Matt O’Sullivan said he’s lost faith in Sussan Ley’s leadership in part because it was clear the Australian people weren’t warming to her.

“This shouldn’t be looked at through a gendered lens. The reality is over a million female voters that voted for us last time are now saying they’re not going to vote for us,” he told this masthead.

“What they’re looking for is an alternative vision for the country and not an opposition that’s just reactive to what the government’s putting up day-to-day.

“We’re failing to present that clear alternative.”

Liberal frontbencher Tim Wilson kept his cards close to his chest as he entered Parliament House on Thursday, but declared he wants a leader with a “very clear vision”.

“I’ll be looking for a leader with a clear track record of turning impossible situations into improbable victories,” Mr Wilson — the only MP to defend a Teal at the 2025 poll — said.

“I want to see someone who’s got a very clear vision for small business as a centre and driver of Australia’s economic success.

“I want policy and vision that is going to deliver for the Australian people, and that’s going to be the basis which everything I do go forward.”

Mr Wilson didn’t answer when asked if he would be putting his hand up to run as Mr Taylor’s deputy.

Liberal MP Angus Taylor has formally declared his intention to run for the party’s leadership hours after resigning from Sussan Ley’s frontbench.

In a video posted to social media, he has declared his party has “lost its way” and says he is running for the top job because “I believe Australia is worth fighting for”.

“I’m dedicated to serving you, the Australian people, and giving you a strong alternative that reenlivens the Great Australian Dream.”

A party room meeting to spill the leadership is now expected on Friday.

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Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock is appearing before a parliamentary committee for the second time in less than a week.

She told the Senate economics committee on Thursday morning that inflation was worse than expected, in the wake of last week’s 25 basis point rate rise to 3.85 per cent.

“Inflation risks on the upside were increasing,” Ms Bullock said. “We were seeing demand come in a bit stronger than expected. We were seeing the labour market a bit stronger than expected.”

“Inflation numbers were coming in a bit higher than expected. The world economy had actually recovered a lot more than people thought it would.”

Ms Bullock declined to make an opening statement like she did at last Friday’s House of Representatives economics committee hearing.

Leadership aspirant Angus Taylor has deleted a video posted last night after formally handing in his resignation to Liberal leader Sussan Ley.

The video showed Mr Taylor in his office explaining why he had resigned, saying the party needed to fight for Australia.

However, the resignation video was mysteriously deleted a short time later.

Perth Labor MP Patrick Gorman was among those puzzled by his social media presence.

Taking to X, Mr Gorman showed a screenshot of Mr Taylor’s comment section on the now-deleted post.

It showed “Fantastic. Great move. Well done, Angus” was littered throughout by users mocking his viral social media faux pas in 2019 when he replied to his own Facebook post.

Angus Taylor’s camp has formally lodged its request for a spill motion with Liberal whip Aaron Violi.

Phil Thompson – who quit the front bench half an hour ago – and first-term NSW Senator Jess Collins put their names to the motion, indicating they want to use the meeting to call for Sussan Ley to quit the leadership.

The timing of a meeting is now in Ms Ley’s hands.

The Liberal frontbench resignations continue to drip out.

WA senator Matt O’Sullivan has just quit his position as shadow assistant minister for fisheries, forestry and infrastructure, and Philip Thompson has resigned as the shadow assistant minister for defence and the NDIS.

Mr Thompson spent about an hour in Angus Taylor’s office after Question Time on Wednesday, while media waited for the leadership contender to visit Sussan Ley.