Angus Taylor presumably has the numbers… He has come out, not long ago, to announce he has tendered his resignation to Sussan Ley with the intention of challenging her leadership.
This is what he had to say earlier:
The Liberal Party is at the worst position it has been since 1944 when the party was formed.
That is a confronting reality and we cannot ignore it.
We have failed to hold a bad Labor government to account.
We have seen a collapse in Australia’s standard of living.
We have seen a failure to protect Australia’s way of life.
Australians want better for the Liberal Party.
Our supporters, those who have voted for us, and those who might have voted for us at the last election, as well as Australians more generally.
I think Australians generally understand that a strong Australia means a strong Liberal Party.
We must have a strong Liberal Party if we want to have a strong democracy in this country and we are going to hold this bad Labor government to account.
The situation right now is devastating to Australians and for that reason we need to urgently restore confidence in the Liberal Party.
That means we need strong leadership, clear direction, and a relentless and courageous focus on our values.
As a first priority, we need to protect Australia’s way of life. We need to focus on restoring on restoring their standard of living.
I don’t believe Sussan Ley is in a position to be able to lead the party as it needs to be led from here.
Just a few moments ago, I tendered my resignation. I will continue to serve the Liberal Party and to work towards getting it to where it needs to be if it is to have the strength to make a contribution to this great nation. The kind of contribution that it has traditionally made.
In response to questions:
About timing, Angus Taylor said:
‘It was important that the Herzog meeting happened without interruption. It was an important meeting and a very important visit.’
What will you do differently?
‘I’ve already outlined much of that … you’ll hear more from me and others in the coming days.’
