National

Spill against Ley looms as Taylor pulls the trigger

Feb 12, 2026

Angus Taylor announces his resignation from the Liberal front bench — Angus Taylor has paved the way for a tilt at the Liberal leadership after quitting the front bench. -AAP Image

Angus Taylor has finally pulled the trigger on resigning from the Liberal shadow cabinet, signalling an imminent leadership spill against Sussan Ley.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Mr Taylor resigned on Wednesday night, bringing an end to weeks of mounting speculation that he would roll the party's first female leader.

"Since the election in May last year, I've sought to be a constructive member of the leadership team, and supported Sussan Ley's leadership in a difficult time," he told reporters.

"But we can't mince with words. The Liberal Party is at the worst position it has been since 1944 when the party was formed."

While Mr Taylor has resigned from the front bench, he did not challenge Ms Ley for the leadership of the Liberals or a request a leadership spill.

It's understood several other conservative MPs are expected to also resign on Thursday, which would intensify pressure for a leadership spill to occur.

Mr Taylor's resignation has allowed him to openly canvass for votes before a likely leadership ballot.

"I don't believe Sussan Ley is in a position to be able to lead the party as it needs to be led from here," Mr Taylor said.

"What we need right now is strong leadership, clear direction and a courageous focus on our values, and the first two priorities should be protecting our way of life and restoring our standard of living."

Some of Ms Ley's backers have previously suggested a petition signed by a majority of Liberals must be presented for a party room meeting to be held - a similar tactic pulled by former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull when his leadership came under threat in 2018.

The resignation comes after a series of opinion polls revealed dire results for the Liberal Party.

The most recent Newspoll showed primary support for Pauline Hanson's One Nation had surged to 29 per cent, with the coalition garnering an historic low of 18 per cent.

Moments before his resignation, Liberal senator Alex Antic backed Mr Taylor as leader.

"He's going to do a good job when his time comes, whether it's now, tomorrow, six months, two years, whatever it may be," he told Sky News.

Mr Taylor tendered his resignation to Ms Ley after her meeting with Israel President Isaac Herzog's official visit to Canberra.