How much of the current chaos engulfing the Liberal Party is Sussan Ley’s fault?

To paraphrase Julia Gillard when she lost the prime ministership, it doesn’t explain everything, but it does explain some things.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley might have been better off if the Liberal-National split had stuck. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Ley has entered the most dangerous moment of her short leadership. There were only three topics that Liberal MPs and their Nationals cousins were talking about.

First, what position the Liberal Party will eventually adopt on net zero by 2050, a day after being gazumped by the Nationals’ decision to abandon the policy. Second, whether Ley can survive as opposition leader. And third, would the Liberals and the Nationals divorce (again)?

There are plenty of examples around the world of opposition parties working together to form coalitions, even when the parties fundamentally disagree on key policy questions: Germany, New Zealand and Canada are three obvious........

© The Sydney Morning Herald