The next Liberal leader must be prepared to be regularly criticised and challenged as the party wrestles with its future, MPs have said, as recriminations from the federal election disaster intensify.
As leadership contendersAngus Taylor, Sussan Ley and Dan Tehan canvass support ahead of a vote expected next week, colleagues are warning whoever steps into the role to brace for the sort of robust internal debates that they say were stymied under Peter Dutton.
The extent to which Dutton and his office centralised control of the entire Liberal operation has been a focus of the internal bloodletting since Saturday’s horror defeat.
Senior Liberal sources – including Dutton supporters – say the former opposition leader and his team ran a closed shop that sidelined shadow ministers from crucial decisions and left backbenchers completely in the dark on policies.
In just one example, senior shadow ministers were not consulted on Dutton’s last-minute decision to use the party’s campaign launch to announce a$1,200 income tax cut offset.
Multiple senior Liberal sources said the next leader would not be afforded the same leeway as the party undergoes a “complete rebuild” in the next term.
“Whoever is the leader should be prepared to be regularly critiqued,” one MP said, predicting a period of “instability” for whoever took the reins.
Another MP said: “We need to thrash things out much more rather than just trust the leaders’ gut.”
“We all just went along with the leader’s view, we accepted it and perhaps some of us are now regretting that.”
Taylor, Ley and Tehan have been gauging colleagues’ views on the leadership since Sunday.
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After the shadow defence minister, Andrew Hastie, withdrew from the race, Taylor has firmed as the right faction’s pick – if he chooses to run.
The shadow treasurer’s internal standing was severely damaged during the election, copping most of the blame for the Coalition’s lack of economic policies and decision to oppose Labor’s income tax cuts on budget night.
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Taylor’s allies are privately arguing that his attempts to push bolder economic policies – including on tax – were thwarted by Dutton.
As Liberal deputy leader, Ley has not escaped blame internally for the disastrous campaign and result.
However, her supporters say the former Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison minister was an experienced head who could help address the party’s problem with female voters.
Supporters said it was Ley who escalated concerns about the Coalition’s work-from-home policy to Dutton, who eventually dumped it mid-campaign.
Sources said moderates would swing behind Ley, although they cautioned that factional and state-based loyalties could be cast aside if a promotion was offered up by any of the leadership aspirants.
The third option is Tehan, who staved off a challenge from Climate 200-backed independent Alex Dyson to win his regional Victoria seat of Wannon.
The shadow immigration minister is broadly liked across the party and could be a potential compromise candidate.
Alternatively, Tehan could be the kingmaker, backing either Taylor or Ley in exchange for the deputy’s role and his choice of portfolio.
One senior Liberal MP would not speculate on a preferred candidate but said the party should heed what they viewed as the strongest message from voters.
“My view is that they [voters] saw us as too socially conservative,” the source said.
The real jostling is not expected to begin until the final seats are decided and the makeup of the party room is confirmed.
In one silver lining for the Liberals, Tim Wilson is projected to reclaim Goldstein from teal MP Zoe Daniel, while Gisele Kapterian is ahead in the fight to retain the Sydney seat of Bradfield from the Climate-200 backed independent Nicolette Boele.