Good morning
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji here with you for the final sitting day of the week – and perhaps Sussan Ley’s last sitting day as the leader of the opposition.
After weeks (if not months) of speculation, Angus Taylor finally pulled the trigger last night by announcing his resignation from the frontbench. Some of his close allies in the conservative faction will likely follow him today.
Senate estimates continues and, while the heat’s been on the opposition more than the government this week, we’ll bring you everything you need to know from there.
And as Martin mentioned earlier, the prime minister will deliver his Closing the Gap speech later this morning.
It’s going to be another busy one, stay with us!
Key events
Wong appoints special envoy over methanol poisoning deaths of two Australians in Laos
Penny Wong has appointed a special envoy to pursue the deaths of Australian citizens Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones from methanol poisoning in Laos.
It emerged this week that ten people linked to the hostel where the two teenagers were poisoned were fined $185.
Pablo Kang, the new special envoy will depart for Laos this week to “explore all avenues to progress the case”. He has previously served as ambassador to Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates and High Commissioner to Vanuatu.
Wong says that the government has clear to authorities “of the need for transparency and accountability”.
Wong said in a statement:
We have consistently conveyed our expectations that charges should reflect the seriousness of the tragedy that killed Holly, Bianca and four other foreign nationals.
We understand the heartbreaking grief of the families of Holly and Bianca, which has been exacerbated by the delays and lack of transparency over the legal processes in Laos.
‘Leadership change won’t fix them’: Treasurer
Jim Chalmers has also stopped by the House of Reps doors – and you know that he’s a keen bean to do so because he actually has a separate ministerial entrance that he would normally go through.
Tbh the treasurer sounds a little out of breath but tells journalists that the Liberal party is a “shambles”.
We might hear a little more of this line at question time this afternoon.
I’m focused on the numbers in the budget, not the focus, not the numbers in the party room. Obviously, they’re a shambles from top to bottom, and a leadership change won’t fix them.
‘I like Angus, no problem with Ley’, Hogan says
The doors are back my friends! Let me briefly walk you through the wonderful tradition of journalists staking out the Senate and House of Representatives entrances where we try to stop pollies and ask them questions on their way in.
Of course, some will come through the doors knowing exactly what they want to say to journalists (and are eagerly awaiting a microphone being brandished in their face), while others try to avoid the whole thing entirely and either shuffle their way quickly through, heads down, or find another entrance.
This morning the deputy Nationals leader, Kevin Hogan, has passed judgment on the Liberal leadership race – while simultaneously saying that he won’t.
He starts with:
I don’t think it’s appropriate for me as the Nationals to comment on division in the Liberal party or comment on leadership in the Liberal party.
But then, when asked whether he likes Angus Taylor, seems to make a bit of a judgment call on who he prefers personally between the two.
I know Angus. I respect Angus. He has great intellect and I like Angus. Having said that, I have no personal problem with Sussan Ley either.
Leadership challenge ‘undercooked, ill prepared’: Wallace
Andrew Wallace is out to bat for Sussan Ley again this morning (in what would be a pretty tight interview turnaround after appearing on Sky News late last night).
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning, Wallace says that Ley hasn’t been given a proper chance as leader to succeed. Yesterday other allies said it would be right to allow Ley at least give the budget reply in May as leader.
Like Ley told colleagues at Tuesday’s party room meeting, Wallace says that “disunity is death”, and adds that, at a time when the Liberal party is trying to chase female voters, knifing the first female leader is probably not a great look.
I think this, this leadership challenge, if it ends up being that, has been undercooked. I think it’s been unprepared or ill prepared. I think Susan has the numbers. I think that the majority of the party room believe that Susan hasn’t been given a fair go,
I quite honestly believe that Sussan hasn’t been afforded a reasonable opportunity to succeed, and I want to back her in and make sure that she does, so that we can continue to take the fight up to Labor.
Sussan, of course, is our first female leader. I think it sends a bad message to Australians.
Good morning
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji here with you for the final sitting day of the week – and perhaps Sussan Ley’s last sitting day as the leader of the opposition.
After weeks (if not months) of speculation, Angus Taylor finally pulled the trigger last night by announcing his resignation from the frontbench. Some of his close allies in the conservative faction will likely follow him today.
Senate estimates continues and, while the heat’s been on the opposition more than the government this week, we’ll bring you everything you need to know from there.
And as Martin mentioned earlier, the prime minister will deliver his Closing the Gap speech later this morning.
It’s going to be another busy one, stay with us!
Andrew Wallace says dumping Ley would be ‘unacceptable’
The shadow attorney general, Andrew Wallace, was sticking with Sussan Ley and argued that deposing the party’s first-ever female leader after only nine months in the job would be a mistake.
“To effectively knife the Liberal party’s first female leader in under a year is, in my view, unacceptable,” he told Sky New’s Sharri program on Wednesday night.
Unsurprisingly, Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price took the opposite view and was straight on to Team Taylor. She told Sky News:
If we do not make this change, we will be wiped out at the next federal election. We are in a dire situation.
Read our news story here:
Liberals weigh in on leadership spill
Television studios had a revolving door for Liberal party talking heads last night as they had their say about Angus Taylor’s resignation and the expected leadership spill.
The outgoing shadow defence minister stopped short of announcing a challenge to Sussan Ley but it is likely to come today or tomorrow according to observers as he lines up the votes to be sure of winning.
As he brings his attack from the right, he will have to bring on board some of the more centrist MPs who voted against him when he ran against Ley after the 2025 election defeat.
Moderate MP Tim Wilson said last night he continued to back Ley’s leadership but left himself room for manoeuvre.
“I have said consistently that I expect leadership, and I expect leadership to drive a vision for the future of the country. I expect leadership to define who we are as a political movement,” he told the ABC’s 7.30 program.
“I’ve seen her consistently show a steely resolve despite National party separations, terrorist attacks, an unrelenting assault by Anthony Albanese and his bully boys on the frontbench who have tried at every point to knock her about.”
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Krishani Dhanji to pick up the slack.
Angus Taylor’s resignation from the shadow cabinet last night is expected to leave Sussan Ley facing a leadership spill today or tomorrow. We will have all the news as and when it happens.
Anthony Albanese makes his annual Closing The Gap speech to parliament today in which he will call out the “white supremacy ideology” behind the alleged bombing attempt at the Perth Invasion Day rally. More details coming up and we will cover the speech when the PM stands up later.
Another key event will be Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit to Melbourne today. He is due to meet senior politicians and community leaders and there is expected to be a protest against his visit at Flinders Street later in the afternoon.
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