Liberal Leadership Spill Set In Motion As Key Figures Deny It And Pledge Allegiance To Ley

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

The wheels of yet another Liberal Party leadership spill have begun to slowly creak into motion this week after several senior MPs fronted cameras to insist there were no leadership tensions.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie told Sydney’s 2GB this morning that “no, the knives are not being sharpened.”

In Canberra, this is considered less of a denial and more of a diary note.

This comes after Opposition Leader Sussan Ley was forced to sack Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price for declining to say she supported her leader. Price instead told reporters it was “a matter for the party room,” which insiders recognise as the first stage of any spill.

Pragmatist Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie told Sky News that the Westminster system only works when everyone pretends to like their boss.

“David [Littleproud] is a little twerp but he’s OUR twerp. It didn’t work with Barnaby because despite being a smooth-brained red-skinned philanderer, he’s actually great on the piss – until you lose him and he wanders off to die on a planter box in Braddon,” the Senator told The Advocate.

“It works because David is a good leader, which means we all think he’s a fuck head.”

Ley has also delivered an apology to Indian Australians eight days after the original remarks made by Ms Price.

Political historians point out that this is how it has always started. Robert Menzies was twice forced from the leadership despite colleagues swearing blind they were behind him. John Gorton was toppled after weeks of loyalty pledges. Malcolm Fraser rolled Billy Snedden in the same way. John Howard spent years promising support for Andrew Peacock before finally knifing him. Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison all went the same way. Each began with solemn denials, smiles for the cameras and whispers in the party room.

At time of press Hastie once again reiterated his support for Ley while noting he was ready to serve if called upon. Angus Taylor is reportedly supervising his farm manager fix some flood fencing near Goulburn at the moment and is unaware this is happening.

More to come.