Australia politics live: Angus Taylor confirms leadership challenge promising ‘clarity, courage and confidence’ after spill motion delivered to Ley

Angus Taylor is in the house

All smiles from Angus Taylor in the house this morning during a division.

And despite them sitting on either side of the leadership divide, it looks like Andrew Wallace and Phil Thompson are still pretty chummy this morning.

Two of the most senior conservatives, Jonno Duniam and James Paterson have just resigned together from the frontbench.

Duniam was the shadow minister for home affairs and manager of opposition business in the Senate while Paterson was the shadow minister for finance.

It’s a big blow for Sussan Ley.

It brings the total tally of resignations to six including Angus Taylor.

Jumping back to Sussan Ley’s pitch for “a better future”, we’ve just noticed some other similarities.

If ease the squeeze also sounds a bit familiar to you, it’s also been ripped from a previous Labor campaign, when then-leader Mark Latham released the ALP’s “Ease the Squeeze” taxation policy in 2004.

Now to be fair, there aren’t really that many policy or political slogans to go around, but we just thought we’d point it out.

Sussan Ley is still tweeting through the turmoil.

The leader of the opposition (at least at time of writing) has published a post on X, a photo of herself smiling with no less than five separate three-word slogans superimposed on it – “a better future”, “delivering for families”, “fix the budget”, “ease the squeeze”, and “make Australia safe”.

Sound remotely familiar?

You might remember that “a better future” – which is the largest text directly under Ley’s face – was also Labor’s 2022 central election campaign slogan.

“We will take the pressure off families, fix the budget, and keep Australia safe,” Ley wrote on X alongside the image.

‘Our party must chart a different course’, says Liberal senator

Matt O’Sullivan has released a statement after resigning from the front bench this morning, saying the Coalition lacks “political clarity, leadership and strategic direction”.

O’Sullivan was the shadow assistant minister for fisheries, forestry and infrastructure.

The Western Australian conservative took part in talks between Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie in Melbourne, before Hastie backed out of a leadership tilt.

O’Sullivan said:

This decision has not been taken lightly. However, I have reached the view that the Coalition currently lacks the policy clarity, leadership and strategic direction required to rebuild trust with voters and present a compelling alternative government.

In recent weeks, my conversations with Western Australians have reinforced a clear message: hard working Australians and their families expect more from us. They want a stronger plan, a clearer direction, and a Coalition that is focused on their priorities. If we are to rebuild trust and reconnect with the millions of Australians who feel increasingly disengaged and left behind, our party must chart a different course.

Ley considering timing of spill

We’re told Sussan Ley is considering the spill motion presented to her by the Liberal party whips, Wendy Askew and Aaron Violi, this morning.

Liberals Phil Thompson and Jess Collins have asked for a spill of the party leadership, in a move to bring on the challenge being mounted by Angus Taylor.

Amid a series of front bench resignations, Ley’s camp have confirmed she is considering when a meeting should take place.

We’re told the Taylor forces are pushing for a meeting of the party room to take place today, but senators who are in estimates hearings all day are understood to prefer a Friday meeting.

Here’s a look at some of the media appearances this morning:

Treasury looks at tobacco excise settings

Treasury is modelling how demand for cigarettes changes with price moves, in a sign that the government is examining whether a cut to the tobacco excise should be part of a strategy to combat the explosion in illegal tobacco.

The illicit tobacco and e‑cigarette commissioner estimates that 50-60% of tobacco consumed in Australia is now from illegal sources, costing the budget billions in lost revenue.

Jim Chalmers has previously shut down any suggestion of a reduction in the tobacco excise, which has pushed cigarette prices to around the highest in the world and driven smokers into the arms of the black market.

At estimates yesterday, Liberal senator Richard Colbeck asked Katy Gallagher, the finance minister, why the government wouldn’t consider changing the high excise rate “as part of an overall mechanism to combat this trade [in illegal tobacco] which feeds organised crime”.

Gallagher did not shut down the suggestion, saying “the government keeps all of these matters under review”.

She stressed that the response to illegal tobacco trade cut across a number of federal departments, including Home Affairs and Health, as well as the states, and that “there’s not a single solution”.

Nevertheless, Diane Brown, a deputy secretary at Treasury, said:

We have done some work around the elasticity of demand for tobacco to see whether that’s changed, so there is modelling of that type that is going on.

Angus Taylor has officially confirmed he’s running for the leadership, releasing a video to social media this morning with his pitch to the public, featuring inspirational-sounding instrumental background music and all.

He says the country is in “trouble” and the Liberal party “has lost its way”.

He promises to “restore” the party.

I believe we need strong decisive leadership that gives Australians clarity, courage and confidence in providing a vision for Australia.

I’m dedicated to serving you the Australian people and giving you a strong alternative that re-livens the great Australian dream.

I’m committing myself to the cause of restoring our party so it can be the party Australians expect and deserve.

Sussan Ley will get to pick when the special party room meeting happens, most likely today or tomorrow.

As we know, earlier this morning two conservative Taylor allies brought the special meeting and spill motion request to Ley’s office.

‘Sussan’s got the choice of how her leadership ends’: conservative MP

Garth Hamilton has also been stopped by reporters by the House of Representatives doors this morning, and says it’s “a good day to be a conservative”.

The conservative MP from Queensland is a key ally of Andrew Hastie (who earlier backed out of the leadership challenge).

He offers a very pointed warning to Ley, daring her not to stand up against Taylor in a spill.

Sussan’s got the choice of how her leadership ends, that’s in her hands now and I hope as a party we do this in a way that is in the best interest of Australians. We need a credible opposition. We need a strong opposition. We’re not at the moment, we need to make that change. In the next 24 hours, we’ll see how many of my colleagues are willing to face up to that reality.

Bragg believes Ley can survive challenge

Liberal frontbencher Andrew Bragg says he expects Sussan Ley will remain the party’s leader, despite the growing challenge from forces close to Angus Taylor.

The NSW Liberal senator said the party had a rich environment to attack the Labor government and needed to get back to work prosecuting policies, including on housing affordability.

I think most Australians will look at it and say, well, ‘this person hasn’t even been given a year in a job’.

He said Ley should be allowed time to release policies on issues including immigration, housing and small business.

Asked about a possible Angus Taylor leadership of the Liberal party, Bragg said he wouldn’t comment on colleague’s motivations.

Wilson tight-lipped on leadership spill

Liberal MP Tim Wilson was giving little away on his way into parliament today, saying he wanted a party leader with a “clear vision for small business”.

Numerous Liberal and Nationals members were bailed up by media this morning, sharing thoughts on the leadership spill.

Wilson – whose name has been mentioned as a potential Liberal deputy leader – said on the ABC last night that he still supported Ley as leader, but didn’t say who he’d back in any potential spill if it occurred.

I’ll be looking for a leader with a clear track record turning impossible situations into improbable victory. I want to see someone who’s got a very clear vision for small business as the centre and drive of Australia’s economic success.

I want policy and vision that is going to deliver for the Australian people, and that’s going to be the basis.

Henderson denies spill has overshadowed Herzog visit

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson has denied that the leadership spill has overshadowed the visit of Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, or the Closing the Gap statement today, but argued that the leadership needs to be sorted out “urgently”.

Angus Taylor’s expected resignation hung over much of Wednesday, with his walk down the corridor to Sussan Ley’s office coming shortly after she met with Herzog in Parliament House.

Taylor launched the first step in his leadership bid on the day of Herzog’s visit, which came after the Nationals announced their split from the Coalition on the national day of mourning for the Bondi massacre, which was prompted by the Nationals opposing Labor’s emergency legislation in response to the antisemitic massacre.

Asked if the Liberal soap opera was distracting from other important issues, including the annual Closing the Gap statement in parliament today, Henderson said “I don’t accept that” and argued Taylor had waited until after Ley’s meeting with Herzog.

Henderson told reporters at a doorstop this morning:

We appreciate and understand that this is urgent. We cannot continue as we are. We’ve declined very rapidly since the election. We are no longer looking like a viable, formidable opposition.

Henderson, a Taylor supporter, was also asked why the member for Hume was the right person for the job. She said: “Angus is very experienced. He’s very principled. He’s got a wonderful background as a business person.

He’s got a great empathy with regional Australians and he’s very determined. He’s very courageous and he’s very focused on our values.

Liberal conservative Jess Collins has handed a spill motion to the opposition leader, Sussan Ley.

Together with Phillip Thompson, the pair handed Ley the motion and the request for a special party room meeting where the leadership spill would take place.

The move, just in the past few minutes, means Ley will have to consider whether to call a special meeting today or tomorrow.