The Liberal parliamentary party is set to meet at 9am on Friday to vote on its leader, after a letter calling for an urgent leadership spill was delivered to Ley on Thursday morning.
The challenge comes less than a year after the Coalition’s federal election defeat and reflects mounting frustration within conservative ranks over the party’s direction and electoral performance.
Taylor’s bid has been publicly backed by influential conservative powerbroker James Paterson, who warned that the Liberal Party faces political oblivion if it does not change course. Speaking at Parliament House, Paterson said the party had lost more than two million votes since the last election and argued that Ley no longer had the capacity to reverse the decline before the next poll.
In a dramatic escalation, several senior Liberals aligned with Taylor have resigned from the opposition frontbench, including James Paterson, Jonno Duniam, Claire Chandler, Phil Thompson and Matt O’Sullivan. Taylor himself resigned from the defence portfolio earlier in the day, clearing the way for his leadership tilt.
Moderate MPs have vowed to remain loyal to Ley, despite privately conceding they may lack the numbers to block the challenge. Supporters argue that Ley has not been given sufficient time to succeed and praise her leadership following national crises, including the Bondi terror attack.
The leadership contest has also reignited broader debates within the party over ideology, strategy and gender. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price dismissed claims the spill reflects a gender problem, insisting leadership is about competence and effectiveness, not identity politics.
With multiple deputy leadership contenders also emerging, Friday’s party room vote is expected to be a defining moment for the Liberal Party as it seeks to regroup, rebuild and reclaim relevance in opposition.
