Senior Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam says leadership speculation embroiling the Liberal and National parties must end before the party can deal with issues that matter to voters.
Speaking to the The Conversation’s Michelle Grattan, Duniam acknowledged that the ongoing public debate was damaging the opposition’s effectiveness.
“Of course, I'd be foolish and dishonest if I did not say that the ongoing commentary around Liberal Party leadership was unhelpful, and it’s not helpful. It is taking us away from our main job,” he said.
At the same time, Duniam rejected suggestions he was advocating for a leadership change.
“At this point in time, there is no spill on, there is no party room meeting that’s been called for,” he said.
“What we need to have is a resolution to this ongoing public debate around whether or not there should be a leader or change or not. I am not putting my hand up for leadership.”
The comments came a day before footage showed Duniam meeting with potential right faction Liberal leadership contenders Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor in Melbourne on Jan. 29.
The latest turbulence follows last week’s split in the Liberal–National Coalition after all Nationals MPs withdrew from the Coalition frontbench.
The breakdown has since triggered leadership instability in both parties.
Nationals leader David Littleproud faces a spill motion by Queensland MP Colin Boyce, while Opposition Leader Sussan Ley contends with talk of a right-faction push.
In a message to Liberal MPs on Jan. 28, Ley said she had written to Littleproud the previous night proposing to meet “without any preconditions.”
“I reminded him that as the leaders of the Liberal and National parties, we are the stewards of two great movements that exist to serve the Australian people and that maintaining a strong and functioning relationship between our two parties is in the national interest–whether in formal Coalition or not,” the letter read, as reported by Nine News.
Littleproud later rejected suggestions that the Nationals had turned down the request, calling them “inaccurate.”
The Nationals leader also noted that his party would schedule a meeting with the Liberals after their spill motion on Feb. 2.
Liberal Members Express Loyalty to Ley
Meanwhile, senior Liberal figures have moved to express support for their leader.Shadow Treasurer Ted O'Brien said saw no evidence of internal dissent.
“I haven’t spoken to any colleague who believes that Susan didn’t make the right cause,” he told ABC News.
“Last week, she demonstrated enormous strength and dignity in a very difficult situation with the National Party ... Susan absolutely has my support,” he said.
Duniam also acknowledged Ley’s record in holding together a divided party when dealing with contentious issues like net zero.
Nationals Close Ranks Around Littleproud
On the Nationals side, Littleproud’s deputy Kevin Hogan said the leader’s actions had unanimous backing from the party room.“David Littleproud’s only done that because the room has agreed to do that. [He] has never run off and done anything unless he has had the complete support of the Nationals party room,” he told ABC Radio.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie also dismissed the leadership challenge, saying it is unlikely to succeed.
“I cannot see the spill motion getting up on Monday. Usually, you would talk to your colleagues. So no, the room and myself, we support David all the way,” she said.
