Conservative Liberal senator Jonathon Duniam has publicly declared his support for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, stating her leadership is secure following the party's controversial decision to axe its net zero emissions policy.
Public Show of Support
Speaking on Sky News, Senator Duniam downplayed a recent show of force from the Liberal party's right wing. This occurred ahead of last week's party room meeting, when conservative MPs and leadership aspirants Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor arrived as a united group.
Duniam moved to quell speculation of an internal challenge, firmly backing the current leader. "Sussan Ley is our leader," he stated. "I support her because she is the one who's guided us through this process. She's the one who has landed this policy outcome."
Unity Amidst Factional Groupings
Despite the perceived factional manoeuvring, Duniam emphasised his personal relationships across the party's spectrum. "I'm great mates with Andrew Hastie, also great mates with Angus Taylor and all of the people in that group, along with people that others would classify as moderates," he told Sky News.
When pressed on whether Hastie or Taylor would make a better leader, Duniam declined to comment, instead reiterating his loyalty to Ley. His focus, he said, is on the party's policy direction rather than leadership speculation.
The Path Forward for the Opposition
Duniam outlined the critical task now facing the Liberal party. "At the end of the day, what we need to do is straighten out our policy offering and have clear, coherent arguments about what we are offering and why it is better for the Australian people than what Labor are offering," he said.
He confirmed his expectation that Sussan Ley will lead the party to the next election, expressing his look forward to working with her on other policy areas like migration. "She'll take us to the next election, and we are going to give it a red hot go and hold this appalling government to account," Duniam concluded, signalling a unified offensive against the incumbent Labor government.
