Professional watchers of the Canberra Bubble have said Andrew Hastie jumped too soon.

The election is several years away, surely it would be better for Sussan Ley to slowly tenderise in the pressure cooker of Opposition, making her easier to chew when the time comes?

That was true 20 years ago.

Today, Australians resent politicians who waste time at the leisure of taxpayer money.

Opposition is not a holding pen for career aspirations.

Sussan Ley is a dud. She has to go.

Leaving her in power sends two messages: the Liberals don’t take the role of Opposition seriously, and politics is a leadership game rather than a revered mission to govern the nation.

I will be fair. The third option is a posse of delusional powerbrokers who truly believe Ley is a star candidate.

Opinion polls provide a grim performance report.

Even mister 34-bad-Newspolls-Turnbull would grimace.

If not Ley, what do voters want? It’s not a question the Liberal Party asks very often, but what the heck, let’s give it a try…

When floating the question online, in multiple formats over several months, there is an appetite to see a charismatic, straight-talking, principled leader settle into the role.

Before giving the Liberal Party electoral control, voters want to see proof that they can hold the leadership for an extended period of time with voluntary loyalty, not obedience heckled with letters.

If you have to instruct your ministers on the party beliefs, then either they disagree or don’t know what those beliefs are meant to be.

This is weakness.

Andrew Hastie shrugging his shoulders and quitting to the backbench is unlikely an innocent act.

Someone somewhere is number crunching.

Even if he gives a nothing to see here performance to the cameras.

‘Does Sussan Ley have the support of the majority of the Liberal Party?’ asked the press.

‘Yes, absolutely,’ replied Hastie.

‘You haven’t sounded out any leadership-’

‘No…’ Hastie interrupted.

‘Are you aware of anyone else who might-’

‘Nope.’

‘You will remain a backbencher?’

‘It’s pretty simple guys. That’s why I’m fronting up. There’s no challenge to Sussan. I support Sussan … suffice to say, I didn’t consult widely and the objective was not to create any sort of instability.’

He added that he was doing this in an orderly and respectful manner.

‘We need to renew our party. All parties struggle to engage with young Australians … that’s a national problem. A lot of young Australians feel politically disenfranchised.’

Hastie is pitching to young Australians by addressing mass migration. The current leadership isn’t keen to ‘upset’ migrant seats which are held by Moderates.

What matters more?

Protecting the future of young Australians or protecting marginal seats…

Selfless versus selfish.

Everyone thinks Andrew Hastie is the next Liberal Leader. That’s a good start.

Even if Hastie cracked the shits and shrugged off the Shadow Cabinet without a grand agenda or higher power, that doesn’t mean he won’t change his mind.

Flat White is written by Alexandra Marshall. If you would like to support her work, shout her a coffee over at donor-box.