Liberals are bracing for a wave of frontbench resignations as soon as Wednesday to pave the way for Angus Taylor to mount a leadership challenge against Sussan Ley.
Supporters of Mr Taylor said the situation remained fluid on Tuesday night and many were still unsure when the conservative would instigate his push for a spill motion.
But overwhelmingly the view inside the party room is that the speculation about a spill cannot continue and a motion must be moved by the end of the week.
Angus Taylor is under pressure to make public his intention to challenge for the leadership. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)
Mr Taylor has so far kept his conversations about a possible leadership tilt contained to a tight circle of backers.
But in recent days many Liberals believe it has become untenable for him to continue to prepare for a spill as a member of Ms Ley’s shadow ministry.
He is expected to resign as early as Wednesday morning, with some Liberals expected to follow suit to build momentum in Mr Taylor’s favour.
One Liberal source said Ms Ley would look “weak” if she allowed Mr Taylor to remain on the frontbench any longer while Mr Taylor himself would look weak if he did not quit and follow through with a challenge.
“There are dangers for both … but Angus Taylor has no choice but to proceed with it,” the source said.
Sussan Ley is facing an imminent leadership challenge from Angus Taylor. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
The chaos caused by the Coalition split, combined with disastrous polling for the Liberals had left his party deeply “depressed”, the Liberal added.
Another Liberal said they believed there was a softening of support for Ms Ley among some MPs without strong factional allegiances who were now open to switching to Mr Taylor’s camp.
Ley remains resolute
But Ms Ley, who defeated Mr Taylor in a leadership ballot 29-25 nine months ago, has remained resolute she has the support of a majority of her party room to stay in the role.
Her backers also argue Ms Ley has not done anything to warrant a leadership challenge, pointing out bad poll numbers for the Liberals are in part a product of the destabilisation efforts of those who want to overthrow her.
Moderates on Tuesday demanded supporters of Mr Taylor gather a petition of signatures to prove the would-be challenger had the numbers to instigate a leadership spill.
Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, a moderate, said “enough is enough” and challenged Mr Taylor’s backers to “be accountable” and put their names on a petition calling for change.
Liberal senator Maria Kovacic said she supported Sussan Ley to retain the leadership. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)
“We need to have those individuals be very transparent about why it is they want a spill. If we’re being accountable, put your name to it,” Senator Kovacic told Afternoon Briefing.
“We’ve all had enough of what’s being going on over the past couple of months.
“It’s spiralled out of control in the last few days. Enough is enough, put your name to it and get it over with.”
But many Liberals privately viewed a petition as an unlikely outcome, arguing convention normally required only two members write to Ms Ley and the party’s whip to request a special meeting where a spill motion could be called.
Taylor urges agitators to slow down
Mr Taylor has consistently urged agitators to slow down and give Ms Ley more time in the role, but several Liberal backbenchers are now arguing publicly that is not an option.
The accelerated timeline for a spill has been fuelled by the messiness of the Coalition’s hastily patched up split, dire polling numbers and conservative backbenchers who wanted Andrew Hastie to run as leader.
Mr Hastie last month ruled himself out of a challenge, acknowledging he did not have enough support in his party room.
Shadow communications minister Melissa McIntosh said potential challengers should come forward. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)
Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh, who has expressed her own desire to lead the party in the future, on Tuesday urged any would-be challengers to come forward.
“I think if anyone has intention to run as leader, they do need to make that clear,” Ms McIntosh said.
When asked if she would put her hand up to be deputy, she said she had “made it very clear before that I have leadership ambitions in the future”.
Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam, who is in the party’s right faction, also suggested the issue must come to a head.
Senator Jonno Duniam said the question of leadership must come to a head. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
“If Angus is interested in the leadership, as many are speculating, then he should say so, that’s something he needs to make clear,” Senator Duniam said on Tuesday.
The Liberal Party has not codified the rules around processes to hold a leadership spill, but multiple sources told the ABC there was little appetite for a repeat of 2018 when former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull insisted on a petition to prove he had lost the support of his colleagues.
Mr Turnbull was visiting parliament house on Tuesday and told reporters if Mr Taylor wanted to be leader of the Liberal Party he should “stand up and say so, and say why”.
He sympathised with Ms Ley’s situation and offered a blunt assessment of Mr Taylor when asked if he was qualified.
“He is absolutely fit to be leader because the only qualification for being leader of the opposition is to be a member of the representatives,” Mr Turnbull said.