Coalition MPs ‘clearly’ undermining leader Sussan Ley, Anthony Albanese says

Anthony Albanese has delivered a scathing assessment of Sussan Ley’s leadership amid the ongoing fallout of the Coalition scrapping its net-zero target.

New Redbridge polling has found that under the Opposition Leader, the Coalition’s primary vote has hit a record low of 24 per cent, while Labor has shot ahead with a 10-point two-party preferred lead thanks to a 4 per cent boost in primary votes.

As of Monday morning, only 10 per cent of voters preferred Ms Ley in the top job compared with 40 per cent for the Prime Minister.

Speaking to Nova Radio in Melbourne, Mr Albanese was asked whether he could offer any sympathy to the embattled Coalition leader.

“Sympathies? Well, I’m the sort of guy I must say if the Hawks are playing anyone … and we’re 10 goals up at halftime, I’m the sort of guy who wants us to win by 20 goals, not for it to be close.”

He added that politics was a “tough game”.

“And the problem is she’s clearly being undermined by her own side and they’re a bit of a rabble at the moment, that’s the truth.,” Mr Albanese said.

“They had a so-called policy that really doesn’t add up, announced. And then they go in and Anne Ruston, who’s a senior shadow minister, says, ‘Well, that’s not what we agreed to two days ago’, so they can’t even agree on what they’ve decided.”

The comments Mr Albanese referenced were later debunked by Senator Ruston as “incorrect” in a joint statement with senator Maria Kovacic.

“We, along with an overwhelming majority of our moderate colleagues, continue to strongly support Sussan’s leadership,” they said.

“This matter was resolved in the party room six months ago and Sussan will lead us strongly to the next election.”

Ley tightlipped on polls

Speaking to reporters in Sydney, Ms Ley refused to comment on her drastically plummeting approval rates, saying she was focused on delivering the Coalition’s energy plan.

“Well, I’m not interested in polling, and I’m not interested in public commentary about polling.

“What I’m interested in is this plan, this plan that delivers affordable energy for households and puts priority on delivering that affordable energy because, right now, we have an energy policy trainwreck from this government.

“I know that the communities of which you speak broadly will also be feeling the pain that I’ve talked about, and they’ll also be struggling with the cost of energy, and they also know that when energy is unaffordable, everything is unaffordable.”

Ms Ley also refused to comment on growing discontent in the NSW Liberals, which is also facing a crisis of leadership over net zero.

“I’ll leave commentary about the NSW Liberal Party, opposition etc and, indeed, any other state government or opposition around the country, I’ll confine it to those remarks that have been made by them.

“And I will simply say that not for one minute will I lose focus on the most important exercise mission right here, which is to talk to Australians to understand the pain that they’re feeling.”

Leadership rumbles

Earlier, Ms Ley denied being worried about the threat of a leadership spill, as reports emerged of her losing the support of the party room.

Both she and Nationals leader David Littleproud announced their energy policy on Sunday following the decision to can the 2050 net-zero target.

Taxpayer-funded subsidies for coal plants, lifting the ban on nuclear, and scrapping climate objectives from the Australian Energy Market Operator were some of the measures announced as part of the new joint platform.

The move to axe net zero was reportedly seen by Liberal moderates as Ms Ley capitulating to the conservative bloc in her party and, amid the building public profiles of potential leadership challengers Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie, raised the question of Ms Ley’s future in the top job.

Sunrise host Nat Barr grilled Ms Ley on the prospects of a leadership spill on Monday morning.

“The sharks are circling … are you worried? Is your leadership terminal?” Barr asked.

Ms Ley avoided answering the question directly, saying she was focused on the Coalition’s new energy plan which was about Australians and affordable energy “as a priority”.

“It’s about looking after the next generation, who, right now are going to have a lower standard of living than their parents,” she said.

“Because when energy is unaffordable, everything is unaffordable. We can see that in the economy now.

“So I’m not going to lose focus on the really important things that I’m going to be talking about every single day.”

Pressed on whether she was worried or not, Ms Ley simply responded: “No”.

The comments come as a growing number of moderate Liberals are distancing themselves from Ms Ley, after claiming she delivered a climate agenda “worse than the Nationals”, The Australian reports.

They are instead choosing to back conservative Mr Hastie, though some MPs claimed the preference were in reference to a contest with Mr Taylor, rather than against Ms Ley.