Sussan Ley has been dumped as leader of the Liberal Party, with Angus Taylor winning the support of the party room this morning.
Taylor defeated Ley in a leadership ballot 34 votes to 17.
Jane Hume has been elected as Deputy Leader.
It means the Liberal Party has axed its first female leader after less than a year in the job.
Colleagues had become increasingly nervous and frustrated about poor opinion polls and a fractured relationship with the Nationals.
“She has tried her best and taken the leadership after such a catastrophic failure,” former Lindsay MP Fiona Scott told the ABC.
Ley addressed the media after losing the leadership, walking to the outdoor courtyard of Parliament House on her own.
“I want to express gratitude to the Liberal Party that I have belonged to and loved for more than half of my adult life,” she said.
“The leadership of our party is a gift of the party room and I respect the decision that they have made.”
Ley confirmed she would be exiting Parliament, meaning Taylor’s first big test will be a by-election in her electorate.
Taylor said he was “determined” to fight for the nation in his new role.
“I thank my colleagues for giving me this opportunity to take up the fight,” he said.
“I want to acknowledge Sussan Ley for her extraordinary contribution to the Liberal Party and this country. Her work ethic has been absolutely relentless.”
Taylor said his mission was to put the Liberal Party back on the right track.
“I know that many of our supporters are angry,” he said.
“I am particularly conscious that we got some big calls wrong, especially on personal income tax. It won’t happen again.
“If an election was held today, our party may not exist by the end of it. We are in this position because we didn’t stay true to our core values.”
He hinted at significant changes to immigration policy, clearly acknowledging the issue being so hot in the electorate.
“The first priority of the Liberal Party now will be to restore our standard of living and protect our way of life,” he said.
“If someone doesn’t subscribe to our core beliefs, the door must be shut. If someone wants to import the hatred and violence of another place to Australia, the door must be shut.”
He said he would work to reduce financial pressures on families, and restore the dream of home ownership.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.