Exclusive: Andrew Hastie Spares Sussan Ley from Leadership Challenge, Clears Path for Angus Taylor
In a move that has breathed new life into the struggling Coalition, former soldier and shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie has ruled out challenging Liberal leader Sussan Ley for the top job. The surprise decision comes after weeks of speculation and leaves the door open for fellow right-wing MP Angus Taylor to mount a bid to unseat Ley.
According to sources close to Taylor, it is now only a matter of time before he formally launches his challenge. Despite meeting with Hastie in Melbourne on Thursday, the two men were unable to come to an agreement on who would take on Ley in the event of a leadership spill. However, Hastie's decision has effectively cleared the path for Taylor to make his move.
"I've previously stated that I would welcome the opportunity to serve my party and our country as leader of the Liberal party," Hastie said in a statement confirming his intention not to contest the leadership. "But having consulted with colleagues over the past week and respecting their honest feedback to me, it is clear that I do not have the support needed to become leader of the Liberal party."
Hastie's decision comes after Ley earlier this week gave Nationals MPs an eight-day window to reunite the Coalition before she pushed ahead with a Liberal-only frontbench. However, it appears that the opposition leader has secured enough support from within her own party to prevent any challenges.
While Hastie's supporters had been positioning him as a potential alternative to Ley, they now face a difficult task in convincing them to switch their allegiances to Taylor. The 59-year-old's leadership credentials are less extensive than those of his rival, and it remains to be seen whether he can command the same level of support.
For now, though, Hastie's decision has removed one major hurdle from Taylor's path to the leadership. As one conservative Liberal noted, there is currently no appetite for a challenge against Ley next week, with many MPs focused on criticism of Labor ahead of the federal parliament's return on Tuesday.
With Taylor now poised to make his move, the stage is set for a potentially bruising battle for the Liberal leadership. Will he be able to unite the party behind him and secure the top job? Only time will tell.
In a move that has breathed new life into the struggling Coalition, former soldier and shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie has ruled out challenging Liberal leader Sussan Ley for the top job. The surprise decision comes after weeks of speculation and leaves the door open for fellow right-wing MP Angus Taylor to mount a bid to unseat Ley.
According to sources close to Taylor, it is now only a matter of time before he formally launches his challenge. Despite meeting with Hastie in Melbourne on Thursday, the two men were unable to come to an agreement on who would take on Ley in the event of a leadership spill. However, Hastie's decision has effectively cleared the path for Taylor to make his move.
"I've previously stated that I would welcome the opportunity to serve my party and our country as leader of the Liberal party," Hastie said in a statement confirming his intention not to contest the leadership. "But having consulted with colleagues over the past week and respecting their honest feedback to me, it is clear that I do not have the support needed to become leader of the Liberal party."
Hastie's decision comes after Ley earlier this week gave Nationals MPs an eight-day window to reunite the Coalition before she pushed ahead with a Liberal-only frontbench. However, it appears that the opposition leader has secured enough support from within her own party to prevent any challenges.
While Hastie's supporters had been positioning him as a potential alternative to Ley, they now face a difficult task in convincing them to switch their allegiances to Taylor. The 59-year-old's leadership credentials are less extensive than those of his rival, and it remains to be seen whether he can command the same level of support.
For now, though, Hastie's decision has removed one major hurdle from Taylor's path to the leadership. As one conservative Liberal noted, there is currently no appetite for a challenge against Ley next week, with many MPs focused on criticism of Labor ahead of the federal parliament's return on Tuesday.
With Taylor now poised to make his move, the stage is set for a potentially bruising battle for the Liberal leadership. Will he be able to unite the party behind him and secure the top job? Only time will tell.
! Who would've thought Andrew Hastie wouldn't take on the challenge? Now it's all about Angus Taylor going for the top spot... we'll see how that plays out 
. Guess you could say Hastie was just trying to keep the peace, but his decision opens up a lot of possibilities for Taylor 
. This leadership battle is already getting juicy 
. Can't wait to see what's in store! 
. However, I'm not sure if Taylor has what it takes to unite the party and lead them towards victory in the next election 
. His leadership credentials are pretty thin on paper, and he's going to have to work hard to convince his colleagues that he's the right person for the job 
. The fact that Hastie was even able to rule himself out of contention suggests that there might be some underlying issues within the party that need to be addressed 
.
just heard about Andrew Hastie sparring Sussan Ley from the leadership challenge 
it's like, what a relief for the Coalition right now! 
Angus Taylor is definitely in the running now and I can feel the drama unfolding 
it's gonna be a wild ride watching him take on Ley 
. I mean, Hastie just made it super easy for him to get in, and now he's got no one to blame but himself if things go south 
. And what's with Ley being so sure of herself? She thinks she's got the support, but we all know how that ends 
.
. now angus taylor's got this big opportunity to step up and take the reins 
but let's be real, he's gotta prove himself first 
. either way, it's gonna be an interesting few weeks ahead 
so apparently, there's only 8 days left for Nationals MPs to reunite the Coalition before she pushes ahead with a Liberal-only frontbench... 
kinda shows how much they need to step up their game if Taylor wants to take the reins 
. Plus, there's always gonna be some bloke or another who thinks they can do it better... let's see how this whole thing plays out before we start jumping to conclusions 
. First, it's Sussan Ley clearing the path for Angus Taylor, and now everyone's just waiting for Taylor to make his move... Can't we just have a stable gov't for once? 
And what even is the point of having a leadership challenge if it's all just going to be about who can unite the party behind them? 
. And what's with the timing? Just as they're about to kick off the parliament session 
...this is gonna be a messy few weeks 
.
. I mean, who wouldn't want to challenge Ley after she basically gave Nationals MPs an ultimatum and then secured enough support to prevent any challenges? 
now, lets see if taylor can pull off this whole leadership thing without losin the party... its gonna be a wild ride irl