4 weeks ago
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February 2, 2026 — 12:03pm
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Liberal senator Andrew Bragg have both compared ructions within the former Coalition to television dramas, as speculation grows about a challenge to Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud faces a threat from the backbench.
Following a formal split of the Coalition last month, loss of support to One Nation, and agitation from within the parties over leadership, MPs from both opposition parties have pleaded with their colleagues to stop fighting and refocus on critiquing the Albanese government in a week when interest rates are expected to rise.
Addressing a meeting of the Labor caucus on Monday morning, Albanese said: “Our united caucus … stands in contrast with our opponents because you can’t fight for Australia if you’re obsessed by fighting each other, and that is what we are seeing on the other side, with the fragmentation of people competing for who can be more right wing, who can be more divisive, who can dislike their own people more”.
“The other side, we’ll allow them to engage in their, their bizarre behaviour. I note that Married at First Sight begins tonight, and it’s a bit, it’s a bit like that with the relationships on the other side. You know they’re going to end badly. You know there’s going to be cheating involved, and they’re going to be not truthful to each other. And you know that’s what we’re seeing played out in real time.”
The National Party on Monday afternoon will hold a party room meeting in which rogue backbencher Colin Boyce will challenge Littleproud’s leadership of the party. The challenge is expected to fail, as Boyce himself said on Monday.
Simultaneously, Ley’s leadership is facing increased pressure after high-profile Liberal conservatives, including leadership aspirants Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie, held a private meeting in Melbourne last week. Hastie has since withdrawn his name from consideration for leader, leaving clear air for a future challenge from Taylor. A formal leadership challenge is not expected this week.
Bragg said on Monday it was time for the Liberal Party to get back to work.
“I’m not going to speak for other colleagues, but I made the point that our responsibility to the Australian people transcends any individual or any sectional interest,” he said on ABC TV.
“We have to hold the government to account … [people] also want us to develop an alternative vision for the country.
“I really do think that people will mark us down if we appear to be more like a Days of Our Lives episode than a policy offering machine,” Bragg added, referencing the American soap opera that has run for more than 60 years.
Senators Jane Hume, Maria Kovacic, Dave Sharma and Bragg, alongside former Nationals’ leader Michael McCormack, all said in media appearances on Monday morning that the former Coalition partners needed to stop talking about themselves and focus on policy issues, particularly cost of living as rising inflation figures may lead to the Reserve Bank raising official interest rates on Tuesday.
Manager of opposition business and close Ley ally Alex Hawke said the Coalition needed to “get its house in order” as he warned the Nationals they would lose their seats and damage their credibility should they not rejoin the Coalition.
“David Littleproud is on the verge of scoring the biggest own goal in centre-right Australian politics of our entire history if he [permanently splits the Coalition]. So we are urging him not to,” Hawke said.
“It will be a sad week. I make no bones about that. We are saying to the Nationals: ‘Don’t score this own goal. You’ve got the ball, you’ve turned around, you’re aiming at the goal, pull away, kick it to the side, get back with us, and let’s not let this happen’,” Hawke told Sky News.
Hume said Albanese had intentionally politicised the legislative response to the Bondi shooting and “made the conversation all about the Coalition”, admitting the opposition had fallen into a political trap set by the government.
“At the beginning of that last sitting week, we should have realised that that was what was being set up for us,” Hume said.
