SUSSAN Ley has become the first female leader of the federal Liberals after being picked to lead the opposition following the Coalition’s resounding election defeat.<\/p>\n
The former Liberal deputy defeated ex-shadow treasurer Angus Taylor 29 votes to 25 in a partyroom ballot of 54 members earlier today (Tuesday, May 13) in Canberra.<\/p>\n
But she may have been handed a poisoned chalice after being tasked with rebuilding the Liberal Party after almost all of its metropolitan seats were wiped out on May 3.<\/p>\n
The Coalition holds 42 of 150 lower house seats, less than half of Labor’s 93.<\/p>\n
Of three seats yet to be called, the Liberals are ahead in two and Labor one, meaning there’s a chance of a slight improvement in the tally, but the Coalition faces a Herculean task to win government in three years regardless.<\/p>\n
Ted O’Brien was elected deputy leader.<\/p>\n
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price had teamed up with Mr Taylor in a bid to become his second-in-command but the ticket was dead on arrival.<\/p>\n
She arrived at her first Liberal partyroom meeting flanked by conservative senators Michaelia Cash, Jonno Duniam and Claire Chandler.<\/p>\n
Her defection from the National Party to run as deputy angered former colleagues and some moderate Liberals who disagreed her brash style of politics would be a vote winner in the inner cities.<\/p>\n
Australian National University politics lecturer Jill Sheppard said there was no reason to assume whoever took the job would not last until the next election, and the absence of a deep bench could bode well for them.<\/p>\n
But leading the Coalition when it holds less than half as many seats as Labor is a tough ask, and there is a reason other contenders such as Dan Tehan and Andrew Hastie were quick to rule themselves out.<\/p>\n
“It does feel like a bit of a poisoned chalice,” Dr Sheppard said.<\/p>\n
“The most important day-one job is to keep the party united, and that’s not going to be easy when there’s a lot of recriminations to be had.”<\/p>\n
Moderates have urged the Liberals to abandon culture wars and return to the centre, but Dr Sheppard warned that might not solve the party’s problems.<\/p>\n
Coming up with policies that stuck closer to the centre could make it harder for the Liberals to differentiate themselves from Labor, she said.<\/p>\n
Some of the Coalition’s lost votes likely bled to hard-right parties such as One Nation, which could spark internal debates about the importance of “culture wars” to some constituents.<\/p>\n
However, it is unclear whether the next leader will be able to change the Liberal Party’s ideological direction.<\/p>\n
Leaders were constrained by the partyroom’s extremes and were forced to find balance in the middle, Dr Sheppard said.<\/p>\n
“To an extent, it doesn’t matter who is leader – the parties are pretty strong and they will constrain their leader,” she said.<\/p>\n
The Nationals re-elected David Littleproud as their leader yesterday (Monday, May 12) following a challenge from conservative senator Matt Canavan.<\/p>\n