Dan Tehan endorses Sussan Ley as leader, Angus Taylor denies ‘planning’ challenge

A Liberal MP tasked with wrangling together an energy policy - including a position on net zero - says he has faith Sussan Ley’s leadership will outlast the crisis engulfing the party.

The Coalition remains fractured over the contentious emissions target, with some Liberal MPs and senators endorsing Ms Ley as leader, while others claim her days are numbered.

On Tuesday, opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan was asked whether he believed Ms Ley would still be leader in six months, to which he responded: “Absolutely.”

“Four or five months ago I was talking about what went wrong with the election,” he told the ABC. “We suffered our most catastrophic defeat since the Second World War.

“We knew we had to embark on a proper policy process, we are doing that.”

Mr Tehan is tasked with leading the review into the Liberals’ energy policy platform, including its position on net zero, which he described as a “challenge”.

“It is a challenge and when Sussan Ley asked me to take up the challenge, I knew it would be difficult,” he said.

“As I have said many times now, I knew it would be like threading a needle.

“That’s the job and that is what I am attempting to do.”

In light of the National Party pre-emptively walking away from net zero, Mr Tehan said the Australian public wasn’t interested in who “went first or second” in announcing policy changes.

“The Australian people want us to make sure we’re focused on the national interest,” he said.

Wilson’s opaque warning

Tim Wilson holds one of a handful of inner-city Liberal seats after regaining Goldstein from Teal Zoe Daniel, and warned Ms Ley the party desperately needs strong leadership as the fight over net zero comes to a head.

Inner-city seats are a priority for the Liberals as they are considered crucial to winning elections. However, these constituents generally desire some form of action on climate change, forcing Liberal moderates to urgently push an energy platform that includes net-zero.

“We need a compelling vision that we’re going to sell and that comes down to one thing, leadership, and that’s what I’m looking for out of this next few days, leadership,” he told Sky News.

“Because that’s going to be the difference between whether we get through this debate or not, and that’s one of the things that I’m concerned about at the moment.”

Pressed on whether he thought Ms Ley was the right person to lead the Liberal Party into the future, the MP avoided answering and instead said: “Well, as I said already, that’s what I’m looking for in the next coming days.

“But it’s very clear to me that we need clear leadership to drive through this conversation.

“It’s up to all of us to do that.

“And that’s certainly the approach I’m going to be taking to make sure that we get through this conversation.”

He later added he was “happy to endorse the leader”, saying it was on all party members to find a way to be part of the solution.

Taylor not ‘planning’ challenge

Angus Taylor has shut down rumours he is planning to roll leader Sussan Ley as the party remains engulfed in a policy crisis over net zero.

Asked about rumours he was planning to oust Ms Ley, opposition defence spokesman told the Today Show: “Well, that’s just not right.“I’m focused on making sure we’ve got the policies we need coming together to hold this government to account and to be contestable at the next election, including in defence in my portfolio.”

In May, the Liberal Party was forced to elect a new leader after ousted MP Peter Dutton lost his seat. During that leadership ballot, Mr Taylor lost to Ms Ley 29 to 25 in a vote that lasted less than 15 minutes.

But an end-of-year challenge was “not something (he was) planning”, Mr Taylor said after being asked to categorically rule out the possibility.

“It’s not something I’m focused on,” he said.

“I’m focused on making sure Australians have what they need to have an affordable life, a better standard of living and the strength they need in their defence force.”

As Mr Taylor is widely considered an instrumental figure in Coalition’s net-zero policy, the MP was asked whether he was gearing up for a fight in the party room, which is due to finalise an energy policy this week.

“The one thing I can absolutely guarantee you is we won’t be supporting economically destructive and unachievable targets,” Mr Taylor said.

“We won’t be supporting Labor’s failed net zero plan, which has been an absolute disaster, driving up electricity prices, driving up the price of everything for Australians, because energy is the economy and that I can guarantee.”

Mr Taylor wouldn’t pre-empt the outcome of the party room meeting but said he was “very confident” the Liberals would find a solution.