Sunrise Host Nat Barr Confronts Sussan Ley Over Leadership Future
Sunrise host Nat Barr has delivered a brutal question to Opposition leader Sussan Ley, directly asking if her days as Coalition leader are numbered. The pointed interrogation occurred on Channel Seven's breakfast program on Monday morning, where Barr asked Ley point blank about her political future.
"Will You Survive the End of the Week?"
Barr's direct question came immediately following the release of a devastating Newspoll that showed another dramatic drop in the Coalition's popularity. The poll revealed particularly disastrous outcomes for Ley personally, with her net approval rating falling to minus-39, making her the most disliked party leader in more than two decades.
The timing of the poll was especially damaging, coming just hours after Nationals leader David Littleproud and Ley fronted media to announce their parties would reunite and the Coalition would be restored. Despite this public show of unity, the polling numbers suggested Australians remained deeply unimpressed with the conservative opposition.
Leadership Challenge Speculation Intensifies
The disastrous poll results have provided potential ammunition for Shadow Minister for Defence Angus Taylor, with murmurs in Canberra suggesting he could make a move to take over as Liberal Party leader in a spill motion as early as Thursday. Senior Liberal MP Angus Taylor is now widely suspected to be preparing to topple Ley as soon as this week.
When confronted by Barr about whether she would make it to the end of the week as Opposition leader, Ley smiled and insisted she had no doubt her position was safe. "Millions of Australians are frustrated, they're angry, they're doing it tough and we see that expressed through the polls," she responded.
Coalition's Internal Struggles Take Their Toll
The Newspoll published by The Australian on Sunday night revealed the Coalition is at risk of losing its status as Australia's biggest conservative force. The poll showed Pauline Hanson's One Nation as easily the second-most popular party in Australia, with a primary vote of 27 percent compared to the Coalition's 18 percent.
Ley acknowledged the internal struggles had damaged public perception. "I think they looked at the disunity and the back and forwards and they marked us down because they saw us talking about ourselves but yesterday we drew a line under that," she told Barr. "We said we've resolved our differences, strengthened our processes and we are squarely focused on the Australian people."
Internal Criticism Mounts Within Liberal Ranks
Liberal Senator Jane Hume described her party as a "rabble" on Monday morning and called for significant change. "The more we talk about ourselves, the less people listen to us. The government is getting away with murder on our watch … this poll was taken during a week when interest rates increased and we still can't land a blow," she said.
Hume added that her colleagues were returning to their electorates each weekend saying, "I'm embarrassed. I'm sorry. Something's got to give." Her comments were later criticized by Ley, who claimed it wasn't the "proper place" to voice concerns about the party's direction.
Historical Context of Coalition Breakdown
The Coalition collapsed last month after Littleproud backed shadow cabinet members who refused to support the Albanese Government's proposed hate speech legislation. This marked the second breakdown since the 2025 election, creating ongoing instability within the conservative opposition.
Liberal senator James McGrath offered a blunt assessment of the situation when asked about the latest polling. "The polling is dire. It is horrible. It is terrible," he told Radio National. "But speaking as a former campaign director, I'm not surprised it's this bad because we've spent three weeks having a very public discussion, talking about ourselves rather than focusing on the many failings of the Labor government."
Ley's Personal Approval Hits Historic Low
The polling revealed particularly devastating numbers for Ley personally, with only 23 percent of participants satisfied with her performance compared to 62 percent who were dissatisfied. Her net approval rating fell by 11 points to minus-39, cementing her position as the most unpopular party leader in more than twenty years.
Despite standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Nationals leader David Littleproud on Sunday and describing their reunion as "back together and looking to the future, not the past," the polling suggests Australian voters remain deeply skeptical about the Coalition's stability and direction under Ley's leadership.
