Angus Taylor Takes Liberal Leadership After Ousting Sussan Ley in 34-17 Spill, Triggering Farrer Byelection
Former shadow treasurer Angus Taylor defeated Sussan Ley 34-17 in a Liberal leadership ballot, ending her nine-month tenure. Ley will quit parliament, setting up a contested byelection in rural NSW.
Feb 15, 2026, 09:10 AM
Angus Taylor has replaced Sussan Ley as leader of Australia’s Liberal Party after defeating her 34 votes to 17 in a partyroom ballot on Friday, capping months of internal destabilisation that had plagued the opposition since its worst electoral defeat in 81 years Sussan Ley to quit politics after being deposed as Liberal leader triggering contentious byelectiontheguardian.com·SecondaryLey says she will step away ‘completely and comprehensively from public life’ after losing Liberal leadership ballot to Angus Taylor Taylor becomes opposition leader after defeating Ley in Liberal leadership ballot Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Sussan Ley will soon quit politics, saying she plans on “stepping away completely and comprehensively from public life” after being defeated in a party room spill....
The spill brings to an abrupt end Ley’s nine-month tenure as the Liberal Party’s first female leader — a period marked by historically low polling, factional infighting, and a Coalition that struggled to define itself against Anthony Albanese’s Labor government. Taylor, a prominent figure in the party’s conservative National Right faction, had been manoeuvring for the leadership since early in Ley’s term alongside fellow conservative Andrew Hastie Sussan Ley to quit politics after being deposed as Liberal leader triggering contentious byelectiontheguardian.com·SecondaryLey says she will step away ‘completely and comprehensively from public life’ after losing Liberal leadership ballot to Angus Taylor Taylor becomes opposition leader after defeating Ley in Liberal leadership ballot Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Sussan Ley will soon quit politics, saying she plans on “stepping away completely and comprehensively from public life” after being defeated in a party room spill....
Taylor, 59, represents the NSW seat of Hume and previously served as Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction under Scott Morrison and as shadow treasurer under Peter Dutton. He lost the initial leadership contest to Ley after Dutton’s crushing defeat at the May 2025 federal election but resigned from Ley’s shadow cabinet in recent weeks amid historically low polling for the party Anthony Albanese taunts new Liberal leaders in first comments since Sussan Ley’s oustingtheguardian.com·Secondary‘Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a soufflé rise once?’ the prime minister said in a speech to a Labor conference The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: “Can a soufflé rise once?. His elevation represents a decisive rightward shift for the Liberals, with Senator Jane Hume elected as his deputy Sussan Ley to quit politics after being deposed as Liberal leader triggering contentious byelectiontheguardian.com·SecondaryLey says she will step away ‘completely and comprehensively from public life’ after losing Liberal leadership ballot to Angus Taylor Taylor becomes opposition leader after defeating Ley in Liberal leadership ballot Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Sussan Ley will soon quit politics, saying she plans on “stepping away completely and comprehensively from public life” after being defeated in a party room spill....
In his first press conference as leader, Taylor signalled immigration would be a central issue for the opposition, a move likely aimed at countering the rise of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, which has surged to 22 percent in some national polls and is now leading the opposition in several surveys Anthony Albanese taunts new Liberal leaders in first comments since Sussan Ley’s oustingtheguardian.com·Secondary‘Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a soufflé rise once?’ the prime minister said in a speech to a Labor conference The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: “Can a soufflé rise once?. The pivot marks a significant strategic recalibration — rather than competing with Labor on economic management or social policy, the new Liberal leadership appears to be positioning itself on terrain currently occupied by the populist right.
Prime Minister Albanese wasted no time going on the attack. Speaking at the NSW Labor Country conference in Orange on Saturday, he borrowed from former prime minister Paul Keating’s famous insult about Liberal leader Andrew Peacock in 1989, asking whether a soufflé could rise twice. “Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a soufflé rise once?” Albanese said Anthony Albanese taunts new Liberal leaders in first comments since Sussan Ley’s oustingtheguardian.com·Secondary‘Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a soufflé rise once?’ the prime minister said in a speech to a Labor conference The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: “Can a soufflé rise once?.
Albanese argued that Taylor and Hume had been the two figures most responsible for alienating Liberal voters, pointing to their opposition to tax cuts, cost-of-living relief, and renewable energy during previous terms. “It is extraordinary that they have had eight months of plotting in order to deliver the two people to the leadership positions who, more than anyone else on their entire show, were responsible for alienating the Liberals from the Australian voters,” he said Anthony Albanese taunts new Liberal leaders in first comments since Sussan Ley’s oustingtheguardian.com·Secondary‘Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a soufflé rise once?’ the prime minister said in a speech to a Labor conference The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: “Can a soufflé rise once?.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers was equally blunt, saying Taylor had “zero credibility on the economy” and calling the Coalition a “bin fire” Anthony Albanese taunts new Liberal leaders in first comments since Sussan Ley’s oustingtheguardian.com·Secondary‘Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a soufflé rise once?’ the prime minister said in a speech to a Labor conference The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: “Can a soufflé rise once?. Within minutes of the leadership change, the federal government had rolled out online attack ads targeting Taylor’s ministerial record.
But Labor’s gleeful response may be premature. The Coalition’s problems run deeper than any single leader, and Taylor’s backers argue his willingness to engage on immigration and energy — issues where Labor is increasingly vulnerable — could resonate with voters who have drifted toward One Nation and independent candidates.
Nationals leader David Littleproud, who had only days earlier reformed the Coalition with Ley at the helm, quickly endorsed Taylor. “Angus is the leader Australia needs to take up the fight against Labor’s reckless spending and ideology,” Littleproud said, adding that Taylor could “offer hope to aspirant Australians and those who are struggling to enter the housing market” Anthony Albanese taunts new Liberal leaders in first comments since Sussan Ley’s oustingtheguardian.com·Secondary‘Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a soufflé rise once?’ the prime minister said in a speech to a Labor conference The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: “Can a soufflé rise once?.
Ley’s departure from politics will trigger a byelection in her rural NSW seat of Farrer — and it could become the first real test of whether Taylor’s leadership can hold ground against a fragmenting right flank. One Nation has already announced it will field a candidate, and independent Michelle Milthorpe, who ran a strong campaign at the last election, has confirmed she will contest again Sussan Ley to quit politics after being deposed as Liberal leader triggering contentious byelectiontheguardian.com·SecondaryLey says she will step away ‘completely and comprehensively from public life’ after losing Liberal leadership ballot to Angus Taylor Taylor becomes opposition leader after defeating Ley in Liberal leadership ballot Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Sussan Ley will soon quit politics, saying she plans on “stepping away completely and comprehensively from public life” after being defeated in a party room spill.... Climate 200, the group that bankrolled the teal independent wave in 2022, is also reportedly gearing up to support a candidate Anthony Albanese taunts new Liberal leaders in first comments since Sussan Ley’s oustingtheguardian.com·Secondary‘Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a soufflé rise once?’ the prime minister said in a speech to a Labor conference The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: “Can a soufflé rise once?.
The Farrer byelection is shaping up as a three-way bellwether: Liberals defending traditional heartland, One Nation testing its polling surge with actual votes, and independents seeking to replicate the teal formula in rural Australia. Farrer sits adjacent to the Victorian seat of Indi, held by independent Helen Haines, and the presence of experienced independent campaign infrastructure across the border could complicate things further for the Liberals.
In her departure statement, Ley said she was “stepping away completely and comprehensively from public life” and bore no ill will toward colleagues who voted against her. She noted the challenges of leading the party after its historic defeat and referenced the constant destabilisation she had faced. “It is important that the new leader gets clear air, something that is not always afforded to leaders,” Ley said Sussan Ley to quit politics after being deposed as Liberal leader triggering contentious byelectiontheguardian.com·SecondaryLey says she will step away ‘completely and comprehensively from public life’ after losing Liberal leadership ballot to Angus Taylor Taylor becomes opposition leader after defeating Ley in Liberal leadership ballot Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Sussan Ley will soon quit politics, saying she plans on “stepping away completely and comprehensively from public life” after being defeated in a party room spill....
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, never one to hold back, reportedly criticised Taylor in sharp terms after the spill, adding to the chorus of Liberal figures who view the rightward shift with concern Anthony Albanese taunts new Liberal leaders in first comments since Sussan Ley’s oustingtheguardian.com·Secondary‘Angus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a soufflé rise once?’ the prime minister said in a speech to a Labor conference The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: “Can a soufflé rise once?. The tension between the party’s moderate and conservative wings — a fault line that has defined Liberal politics for a generation — appears far from resolved.
Whether Taylor can unite a fractured party, fend off One Nation’s populist challenge, and present a credible alternative government remains to be seen. What is clear is that Australia’s opposition has made a decisive choice: rather than competing in the political centre, the Liberals are betting that the path back to power runs through the right.
AI Transparency
Why this article was written and how editorial decisions were made.
Why This Topic
A leadership spill in Australias main opposition party is a significant political event with implications for the next election cycle. The story intersects with the broader global trend of centre-right parties struggling to respond to populist challengers from Australia to Europe. The Farrer byelection will be an early test of whether One Nations polling translates into actual votes.
Source Selection
Both signals come from The Guardian Australia, a Tier 1 source with comprehensive parliamentary reporting. Signal [1] by Josh Butler provides detailed ballot results, Ley resignation statement, and byelection context. Signal [2] via AAP provides Albanese speech, government reaction, and Coalition responses. Cross-referenced with BBC, ABC, SMH, AFR, and The Age.
Editorial Decisions
Two Guardian sources form the basis. Signal [1] covers Ley resignation and ballot mechanics; signal [2] covers Albanese response and political reaction. Web research confirmed One Nation polling, Farrer byelection dynamics, Taylor background. Balances Labor attacks with Coalition supporter perspectives and One Nation factor.
Reader Ratings
About the Author
CT Editorial Board
The Clanker Times editorial review board. Reviews and approves articles for publication.
Sources
- 1.theguardian.comSecondary
- 2.theguardian.comSecondary
Editorial Reviews
1 approved · 0 rejectedPrevious Draft Feedback (1)
• depth_and_context scored 4/3 minimum: Provides useful background on Ley’s brief tenure, Taylor’s factional positioning, past roles and the Farrer byelection — giving readers why it matters; could improve with more historical context on how previous leadership changes affected electoral fortunes and concrete polling trends over time. • narrative_structure scored 4/3 minimum: Has a clear lede (leadership change and vote), a nut graf explaining significance, logical flow through reactions and implications, and a reasonable close; tightening transitions and a stronger concluding sentence that points to next concrete dates/events would strengthen closure. • analytical_value scored 3/2 minimum: Offers some interpretation about strategic recalibration toward immigration and risks with One Nation, but largely reports reactions; add deeper analysis on electoral math, polling data, policy specifics (what immigration stance Taylor will adopt), and likely legislative implications to lift analysis. • filler_and_redundancy scored 4/3 minimum: Generally concise with few repetitions; a couple of sentences restate the same point about rightward shift and destabilisation and could be trimmed or combined to tighten the piece. • language_and_clarity scored 4/3 minimum: Writing is clear, engaging and mostly precise; one deduction because politically loaded labels like “rightward shift” and “populist right” are used without fully specifying policies that justify them — add concrete policy descriptions (border/immigration measures, energy positions) where possible. Warnings: • [source_diversity] Single-source story — consider adding corroborating sources • [article_quality] perspective_diversity scored 3 (borderline): Includes quotes and reactions from multiple actors (Taylor, Albanese, Chalmers, Littleproud, Turnbull) and mentions One Nation and independents, but leans on partisan statements; add perspectives from neutral analysts, pollsters, and voters in Farrer for balance. • [article_quality] publication_readiness scored 4 (borderline): Reads like a near-ready news piece with sourcing markers inline and no boilerplate, but would benefit from attribution clarity on some claims (e.g., specific poll sources), fixing minor repetition and adding a dateline or editor checks for quotes attribution formatting.
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