Some Liberal Party Members ‘Didn’t Want Peter’ to Become PM, Senator Claims

Internal sabotage, weak policies, and ideological rifts blamed for poor show.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton speaks at Mums Supporting Families In Need in Frankston, Melbourne in Australia on April 30, 2025. Dan Peled/Getty Images

After suffering one of its worst electoral defeats, the Liberal Party’s long term internal divisions between the conservative and left-leaning moderate factions are coming to the fore.

While many senior figures publicly cited a lack of economic policy as the primary cause, the conservative-leaning Senator Alex Antic pointed to deeper problems—internal sabotage and ideological division.