National

Liberals elect new leader after dramatic spill

Feb 13, 2026

Angus Taylor has been elected head of the federal Liberal Party, becoming the new opposition leader after deposing Sussan Ley less than a year into her tenure in the role.

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Mr Taylor won a leadership spill on Friday morning 34 votes to 17 after weeks of infighting over the direction of the opposition.

The conservative MP resigned from Ms Ley's front bench on Wednesday to challenge for the leadership, saying the party lacked direction.

"The Liberal Party's position under Sussan Ley's leadership has continued to deteriorate, leaving it weaker than at any time since its formation in 1944. This is a confronting reality, but one we cannot ignore," he said.

The leadership spill followed polling that showed the coalition's primary vote had slumped to a record low and being overtaken by Pauline Hanson's One Nation.

Mr Taylor's ballot victory ends the tenure of Ms Ley as the Liberals' first female leader and first female opposition leader.

The MP for the mostly rural seat of Farrer spent just nine months in the role after taking over leadership of the party after the coalition's landslide defeat at the 2025 election.

She will be the second-shortest serving leader in the party's history.