New Liberal backbencher Andrew Hastie flatly denies a leadership challenge is imminent, but Opposition Leader Sussan Ley now faces a large and influential group of Dutton-era shadow ministers sitting behind her.
Hastie’s departure will force Ley to rejig her frontbench for the second time in just five months.
He joins Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Jane Hume and Sarah Henderson — who has made no secret of her anger at Ley swinging the axe in May. While Price’s demotion opened the door for Claire Chandler to return, the Tasmanian senator won’t forget Ley’s earlier decision to dump her just months ago.
Then there’s defence spokesman Angus Taylor, who narrowly lost to Ley in May’s leadership ballot. He and Hastie were among a group of Liberal MPs sharing a drink in Canberra last night.
