Who will be the new Liberal leader? Here's the background on where the party goes from hereHBy Hanan DervisevicTopic:Liberal Party of Australia1h ago1 hours agoMon 5 May 2025 at 2:19amPeter Dutton conceded his defeat on election night opening the door for a new Liberal leader. (AAP: Mick Tsikas)abc.net.au/news/who-will-be-the-new-liberal-leader-replace-dutton/105252832Link copiedShareShare articleThe leadership of the Liberal Party is up for grabs after Peter Dutton became the first opposition leader in Australian history to lose his own seat.Four names are circulating as possible contenders to replace him, though no clear frontrunners have emerged.Whoever succeeds as opposition leader will inherit the smallest Liberal party room in its modern history.Here's what we know about what comes next for the Liberal party.Election essentials:Federal election live updates: Follow the latest news in our blogLive results: Find out what's happening in your seat as counting continuesVoters explain what went wrong for the coalitionWho is the acting Liberal leader?Sussan Ley.She has been the Liberal deputy leader since 2022 and is now the party's acting leader.Who will be the next opposition leader?We don't know yet.No clear frontrunner has yet emerged and no-one has officially declared their candidacy.However, some names have been floated over the last few days. All were Coalition frontbenchers under Peter Dutton.Sussan Ley Sussan Ley is the Liberal deputy leader.(ABC News: Ian Cutmore)Pre-election position: Deputy leader, shadow minister for women, shadow minister for industry, skills and training, shadow minister for small and family businessYears in parliament: First elected in 2001Seat: Farrer, NSWProfile: Ms Ley is one of the Liberal party's most experienced MPs. She has served as a cabinet minister for health, aged care, sport and environment under the Coalition's past three prime ministers — Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison.The 63-year old is a former pilot, farmer and public servant.In 2017, when she was health minister under Turnbull, Ms Ley resigned from the frontbench amid an expenses scandal.Two investigations were conducted into her travel expenses, which included more than a dozen taxpayer-funded flights to the Gold Coast. She was also criticised for purchasing a luxury $795,000 apartment on the Gold Coast while on the taxpayer funded trips.In an interview with the Australian in 2015, Ms Ley said she added an extra S to spell her name "Sussan" as a young woman after getting into numerology."If you added an 's' I'd have an incredibly exciting, interesting life and nothing would ever be boring," she told the newspaper.If chosen as leader, she would be the first woman to lead the Liberal Party.Angus Taylor Angus Taylor is the current shadow treasurer.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)Pre-election position: Shadow treasurerYears in parliament: First elected in 2013Seat: Hume, NSWProfile: The 58-year-old is one of the Coalition's more recognisable faces and was amongst the first names to be suggested to assume the vacant leadership role.He has served as both energy minister in Scott Morrison's cabinet and minister for law enforcement and cybersecurity under Malcom Turnbull.Mr Taylor has a Masters of Philosophy in Economics from Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes scholar.His prominent role in the losing campaign could end up counting against him and some Liberals have already suggested he was partially to blame for the party's catastrophic loss.Liberal senator Hollie Hughes suggested a lack of policy work by Mr Taylor left the party struggling to win over voters."I have concerns about his capabilities," Senator Hughes, who was relegated to an unwinnable spot on the Liberal senate ticket, said on Radio National.Warren Entsch, who retired from the party at this election, has also rejected Mr Taylor as a potential leader.Andrew Hastie Andrew Hastie is the current Shadow Defence Minister.(ABC News: Mark Moore)Pre-election position: Shadow defence ministerYears in parliament: First elected in 2015Seat: Canning, WAProfile: The 42-year-old is a former captain in the Australian Army and served the nation as a troop commander in the Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment in Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific.He has served as the assistant minister for defence under both Linda Reynolds and Peter Dutton in the Morrison government.In opposition, Mr Hastie has been defence spokesman since 2022.Mr Hastie has already won the support of fellow WA Liberal Michaelia Cash, but is the youngest of the group and has not held senior portfolios outside of defence.Dan Tehan Dan Tehan is the current shadow immigration minister.(AAP: Joel Carrett)Pre-election position: Shadow immigration ministerYears in parliament: First elected in 2010Seat: Wannon, VICProfile: The 57-year-old won a hard fought race in his Victorian seat of Wannon this election, defeating high-profile independent Alex Dyson.Tehan held defence and veterans affairs portfolios in the Turnbull government and was minister for education in the Morrison government.While Mr Entsch rejected Mr Taylor, he believed the next Liberal leader should be Ms Ley or Mr Tehan.Outside of the early contenders, there are a number of Liberal MPs who could yet throw their hat in the ring.For the Liberals, choosing the next party leader is quite simple: a majority vote within the party room will determine who leads.When will a meeting be held to decide?A specific date has not been set.As acting leader, Ms Ley said the party needed to wait for election results to be finalised before holding a leadership ballot."As per our party rules following an election defeat, the Liberal party room will meet in order to elect a leader of the opposition and deputy leader of the opposition," she said."Today I have consulted with our party's senior leadership and it is clear that there are several seats where preferential counting must continue before this meeting can take place."The ABC is yet to call more than a dozen seats in the lower house, a handful of which see Liberal candidates within reach of a narrow victory.If successful, those candidates would be able to vote in the leadership ballot.Read more about the federal election:ANALYSIS: The message to the Coalition is clear: This is not John Howard's AustraliaHow the Liberals lost the cities and Labor found a new heartlandHave Your Say: What was the issue, policy or event that decided your vote?Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 federal election coverageCatch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on ABC iview and ABC ListenWhat's the difference between the Liberal Party and the Coalition?The Coalition is made up of two parties:The Liberal PartyThe National Party of AustraliaThe parties work together with the aim of forming a Coalition government, as alone neither would have the numbers to command a majority in parliament.In Queensland, candidates run for a single party called the Liberal and National Party (LNP), and then choose federally whether to sit in the Liberal or National party room.Each party room is responsible for choosing the respective party leaders, so only Liberal MPs will be able to vote on the next opposition leader, whereas the Nationals, currently led by David Littleproud, decide on their party's leadership.When the Coalition is in government, the Nationals leader becomes deputy prime minister.Both parties meet in the Coalition party room to discuss policy and political matters.This election has seen the Nationals retain most of the seats and senate spots they held prior to polling day, whereas the Liberals have gone backwards significantly, and are on track to lose at least 13 seats, potentially more.It means the Nationals will have greater representation in the Coalition party room, and the party's front bench of shadow ministers.LoadingLoading...Having trouble seeing this form? Try this link.Posted 1h ago1 hours agoMon 5 May 2025 at 2:19am, updated 1h ago1 hours agoMon 5 May 2025 at 2:30amShareCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Related storiesOutgoing Liberals blast Angus Taylor, party's lack of womenTopic:Liberal Party of AustraliaPhoto shows Hollie Hughes dstopThere's no mistaking Dutton's campaign gave women the 'ick'AAnalysis by Annabel CrabbPhoto shows A close-up of Peter Dutton looking slightly past the camera'Worst campaign I've seen': Dickson voters on why Dutton lost seatTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows Election corflutes featuring Peter Dutton on display.First Canada, then Australia: Trump is toxic for conservatives everywhereAAnalysis by Alan KohlerPhoto shows man with a bald head and glasses faces a man with blond hairRelated topicsAustraliaElectionsFederal GovernmentGovernment and PoliticsLiberal Party of AustraliaTop StoriesLiberals closing gap in Goldstein, Bradfield as postal votes favour CoalitionLIVEPhoto shows Zoe Daniel looks into the distance at a press conference at Parliament HouseAlbanese says he received 'very warm' phone call from Donald TrumpTopic:Foreign AffairsPhoto shows a middle-aged man wearing glasses pointing'Laughable policies': Voters explain what went wrong for CoalitionTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows A young coupleFirst Canada, then Australia: Trump is toxic for conservatives everywhereAAnalysis by Alan KohlerPhoto shows man with a bald head and glasses faces a man with blond hairOutgoing Liberals blast Angus Taylor, party's lack of womenTopic:Liberal Party of AustraliaPhoto shows Hollie Hughes dstopPopular nowLiberals closing gap in Goldstein, Bradfield as postal votes favour CoalitionLIVEPhoto shows Zoe Daniel looks into the distance at a press conference at Parliament HouseJacqui Lambie battling Pauline Hanson's daughter Lee for Senate spotTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows A woman with blonde hair in a composite with a woman with brunette hair.Senator seeks retraction of claim she booed voters taking Labor flyersTopic:Australian Federal ElectionsPhoto shows Bridget McKenzie speaks outside, with two people visible behind her, and a row of trees.Top StoriesLiberals closing gap in Goldstein, Bradfield as postal votes favour CoalitionTopic:Australian Federal ElectionsPhoto shows Zoe Daniel looks into the distance at a press conference at Parliament HouseAlbanese says he received 'very warm' phone call from Donald TrumpTopic:Foreign Affairs'Laughable policies': Voters explain what went wrong for CoalitionTopic:ElectionsFirst Canada, then Australia: Trump is toxic for conservatives everywhereAAnalysis by Alan KohlerOutgoing Liberals blast Angus Taylor, party's lack of womenTopic:Liberal Party of AustraliaJust InRevolver nightclub groper avoids jail after assaulting 17 womenTopic:Sexual Offences6m ago6 minutes agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:05amAlbanese to 'slow the pace' as factions jostle over cabinet reshuffleTopic:Federal Government12m ago12 minutes agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:00amYouth to drive Popovic's Socceroos, but one rising star is yet to commitTopic:Socceroos28m ago28 minutes agoMon 5 May 2025 at 3:43amHeritage push for phone box that was lifeline during bushfiresTopic:Information and Communication31m ago31 minutes agoMon 5 May 2025 at 3:40amMore Just InBack to top