In a previous era, Price’s days of defiance would have seen her plonked on the backbench much earlier. But political standards have dropped.
And Ley had motivations to keep Price in the tent. She is one of the few opposition MPs with a support base outside the Canberra parliamentary party and the state branches that elect its members. She’s a fundraising machine; fights for values, unlike some of her more robotic colleagues; and lights up conservative forums.
Ley could still kill off Price’s career by pushing the NT’s Country Liberal Party, already frustrated with Price’s defection from the Nationals, to push Price off the 2028 Senate ticket.
Doing so would earn even more ire from Price’s media backers, former prime minister Tony Abbott, and a number of serving MPs and party members.
They may cast Price as a martyr who held the line on the key conservative issue of migration, viewing Ley as too weak and woke.
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Nationals leader David Littleproud is privately happy to be rid of Price, so a move back to the junior Coalition party is hard to see. Shifting to One Nation – which would give it five senators, more than the Nationals – is unlikely because Price would kill off her hopes of leading a major party. Hanson talked to Price years ago about joining forces, but the idea went nowhere.
Some of Price’s closest right faction allies were until Wednesday morning begging her to apologise and put the saga to bed. One joked that MPs were hoping Israel bombed another country to divert attention.
Ley’s office was on Wednesday morning hopeful Price was getting closer to an apology, before an early afternoon press conference blew that prospect apart.
Price, according to her friends, insists she wasn’t trying to create a leadership crisis. There is no leadership challenge in the offing and Ley comfortably has the numbers. But what started as an isolated feud could still escalate.
Price’s allies say she decided to dig in because she was still angry about the alleged lashing she received from Hawke.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley confirms Price’s demotion to the backbench.Credit: Nine News
Conservative figures such as Abbott and Peta Credlin, Price’s biggest backers, have a special distaste for Hawke and his small but influential centre right faction in NSW that helps keep moderates in power.
Typically, a frontbencher who refuses to back the leader quits their position immediately and launches a swift coup. Price’s move appeared less strategic. She almost stumbled into her own sacking.
Ley took the drastic but necessary step to prove her chops as leader.
The star power Price earned during the Voice campaign has faded. But she remains a darling on the right, and on the backbench she will be free to say whatever she wants, whenever she likes.
Credit: Matt Golding
Politics is never fair. Her sacking was necessary but now it will unleash conservative anger. If Ley faces a coup down the track, this night will be viewed as the first domino.
Ley’s move is another sign that the conservative faction doesn’t run the post-Dutton parliamentary party.
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