What are you trying to fix?

This is a question the Coalition, and in particular the Liberals, should be asking themselves as they undertake crisis talks today.

The primary goal of the powerbrokers is to reunify the Coalition and prevent a leadership challenge to Sussan Ley. (No one is worried about Littleproud, as he has survived his spill motion from Colin Boyce.)

Saving Sussan Ley looks good on paper for the Moderates, but her survival is poison for their electoral future. Installed as the first female leader to modernise the party, Ley has been anything but modern or fresh.

Her chief achievement, that of ‘listening’, has been revealed as nothing more than a diversionary tactic to tread water. Indeed, we may call her policy direction tepid.

Why would any political party waste time fighting amongst itself to salvage a leadership with no future? Or is this about individual factions holding onto their salaries and positions?

Whatever it is, their fight has nothing to do with conservative members or voters.

We can assume Ley will give ground to the Nationals’ demands to reappoint its three members to Shadow Cabinet. Then what?

(Apparently the Liberals are majority opposed to inviting the Nationals back into their Shadow Cabinet positions, which has to make you wonder if they are serious about having a Coalition partner at all. The arrogance and internal anger makes the situation sound worse than we thought.)

The Coalition ship is leaking, with anonymous members from all sides of the factional divide whispering to reporters about their vexations.

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who managed to side-step the critical vote on hate speech laws that has burned the party and its members in the polls, has criticised her peers for using ‘anonymity as a shield’ when speculating over the leadership battle.

‘Anonymity has become a shield for the cowardly and spear for the politically expedient. Whenever you see or hear a comment that’s unattributed, take it with a grain of salt.’

She, like Boyce, Antic, Canavan, and McKenzie, have been discussed by the public as possible One Nation defectors. There appears to be little chance of that. Each has their reasons to stay put (for now).

Regardless of poll enthusiasm for One Nation, making that leap remains an enormous career gamble. It is something young hopefuls are far less likely to do than members such as Barnaby Joyce, who had already reached the highest possible achievement within his party.

Meanwhile, instead of holding emergency peace talks to reunite an already sinking ship, One Nation is all smiles with Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce hinting to the press that multiple imminent defections and announcements are on the way.

So far, it appears that Cory Bernardi may be on the cards along with former Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles.

This is pure speculation, of course, with nothing confirmed by any of the parties involved.

Cory Bernardi is a conservative Senator for South Australia who broke away from the Liberals to lead the Australian Conservatives. He also spent some time as a host for Sky News Australia and a podcaster, giving him excellent skills to fight the media narrative.

Given the South Australian election looming large on the political stage, Cory would be a sensible choice for One Nation if they are looking to draw on the public sentiment that they are the true conservative opposition.

Adam Giles had a similar career trajectory, serving as the conservative Chief Minister for the Norther Territory until 2016 before becoming a Sky News Australia host until that ended under a shadow of controversy in 2018. Less positive for Giles is the signing away of the Port of Dawin to a Chinese-owned company, a decision which has become a significant matter of national security and is likely to become a major talking point after Albanese made it an election promise.

Bernardi is the more likely name than Giles, but given we have been teased with defections, surely at least one sitting member from either the Liberals or Nationals is on their way over…

Colin Boyce insists it isn’t him, so, who could it be?