Senator James McGrath to lead review into ‘existential’ Liberal issues
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The news: Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has revealed Senator James McGrath will conduct a root-and-branch review of the Liberal Party, which she warns faces “existential” challenges after consecutive election defeats.
The context: Ley made the announcement at the National Press Club, her first appearance at the venue since becoming leader last month.
Earlier this month, the Liberals revealed another review — led by party luminaries Prue Goward and Nick Minchin — will be conducted into the party’s performance before its devastating federal election defeat, which saw the Coalition reduced to just 44 seats.
Ley said no review had “been so important to the federal Liberal Party”, with Goward and Minchin to make it public by the end of the year.
But the Opposition Leader conceded the election defeat demonstrated the party’s troubles “go deeper”, with McGrath to lead a longer-term review into how the party can “better respect, reflect and represent modern Australia”.
That will include a look at how the party’s divisions operate and ways to grow party membership, Ley said.
After thumping defeats in 2022 and 2025, the Coalition has been criticised for a lack of female representation and discussions over gender quotas were revived. Just nine of its 43 lower house MPs are women.
While saying she was “agnostic” on how gender representation could be increased, Ley described herself as a “zealot [aiming to ensure] that it actually does happen”.
What they said: “I believe there is a need for the party as a whole to have a deeper look at the existential issues we face ... This will not be an academic exercise,” Ley said of McGrath’s review.
The source: National Press Club
