Opposition Leader Sussan Ley finds herself fighting for political survival as speculation mounts about an imminent leadership challenge from senior colleague Andrew Hastie.
Tense Sunrise Confrontation
During a heated interview on Sunrise Monday morning, host Nat Barr delivered a blunt warning to the embattled Liberal leader, telling her "the sharks are circling" as she displayed that morning's front page of The Australian newspaper.
"We've got a front page where Andrew Hastie is basically doing the numbers for his leadership tilt," Barr stated directly to Ley during the tense exchange.
The Sunrise host pointed to additional warning signs, noting that frontbencher Angus Taylor had conducted what she described as a "soft interview" with News Corp over the weekend, discussing lessons learned since his own previous leadership challenge.
Ley's Defiant Response
Despite appearing visibly concerned during the questioning, Ley brushed aside the leadership speculation with a determined response.
"I know you have to ask the questions. I'm not going to lose focus on the things that matter," the Opposition Leader declared.
Ley emphasised her commitment to affordable energy and economic concerns, stating: "I won't lose focus on the plan that I'm talking about right now, which is about people. It's about Australians."
She elaborated on her priorities, highlighting the challenge of ensuring younger generations don't experience lower living standards than their parents. "You know that when energy is unaffordable, everything is unaffordable. We can see that in the economy," Ley told Barr.
Growing Leadership Crisis
The leadership tensions have been building since Ley assumed the top job in May, with her support within the party steadily dwindling.
Doubts about her leadership intensified following controversy over the Liberal Party's net zero policy, which sparked a revolt from Coalition partners The Nationals and threatened to split the longstanding political alliance.
According to reports in The Australian, senior and moderate Coalition members believe momentum is growing behind Hastie's push to become leader. The publication spoke with two senior moderates who confirmed they would support Hastie if a leadership spill occurred this week.
The political crisis comes as Ley faces devastating polling numbers. Earlier this month, Newspoll revealed the Coalition's primary vote had slumped to just 24 percent, compared to Labor's 36 percent.
More damaging still, Ley's personal approval rating has collapsed to minus 33 percent, representing a near-historic low for an opposition leader.
As the leadership speculation intensifies, Ley plans to spend this week promoting her energy policy in an effort to refocus attention on policy rather than personality.
