Australian news and politics live: Liberal leadership spill - Angus Taylor tipped to win against Sussan Ley

Sussan Ley has put her hand up to run against Angus Taylor.

Reports claim the secret ballot has just taken place and votes are being counted.

The motion to declare the leadership positions vacant has passed 33 votes to 17, with one abstained.

That means there will now be nominations taken from the floor for those who want to be the leader.

WA Liberal Andrew Hastie was asked, while walking into Parliament House ahead of the leadership spill, if it’s a good day for the Liberal Party.

The Canning MP responded only with: “We’ll see”.

Sussan Ley supporter Andrew Wallace says his support remains with the Opposition leader and has insisted she hasn’t been given a chance to succeed.

“My support remains with Susan Ley. She’s done a very, very good job in very difficult circumstances. It’s been a tough nine months but I simply don’t think she’s had a reasonable opportunity to succeed,” he told reporters while heading into Parliament after a run.

“Look at the end of the day, I’m keen to get over today, over and done with, because what the Australian people are looking for from its opposition is unity.

“Australians are very, very angry at this government. We’ve had the sharpest fall in living standards in the OECD, people are paying through their nose for all the essentials.”

Liberals MPs have filed into the party room prepared for the spill motion and, if that’s successful, the leadership vote.

Angus Taylor slipped into the room alone – it’s handily across the corridor from his office – at 8.58am.

Sussan Ley walked in, flanked by a group of eight moderates right on the dot of 9am.

It was a show of support for their leader, even though they know it might be a last stand and made a big contrast to the last major party room meeting, held about dumping net zero, when the conservatives walked in force and Ms Ley arrived alone.

Liberals have started arriving for a party room meeting after Sussan Ley was told to vacate the leadership.

The meeting gets underway at 9am. Inside the room, a secret ballot will take place where Liberals will vote on the leadership and deputy leadership.

Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley are both running for the leadership.

Jane Hume, Dan Tehan and Ted O’Brien are expected to run for deputy.

We may not know who wins the ballot for an hour after the meeting comes out, unless the result leaks, which is absolutely possible.

Queensland MP Phil Thompson, a key supporter of Angus Taylor, says he would be a “fantastic Prime Minister”.

“The way I look at it is I believe that Angus Taylor will be a good opposition leader and a fantastic Prime Minister,” he told reporters outside Parliament House.

Mr Thompson listed off attributes he believes would make Mr Taylor a great leader, many of which Ms Ley shares.

“He’s been in this place for a while. He’s been in senior positions in government. He’s held senior positions in opposition.

“He’s been someone that has not just been around here a long time, but he comes from the background, through his time in McKinsey, through his time as a farmer.

“He’s been out to lead the debate around the Liberal party’s position on net zero which… we’ve landed in a position where we don’t support it, which is a good position.

“He’s a good person, and so is Susan, but we need strong leadership.”

Liberal Tim Wilson has “no interest” in running for deputy leader, making the declaration during a morning run around Canberra on spill day.

“Morning Australia! Having read a lot of speculation, I have advised colleagues that I have no interest in the Deputy Leadership,” Mr Wilson posted on X.

“I love Australia, and I want a nation built on respect, where hard work pays off and Australians have more control over their lives.”

Jane Hume has announced she will support Angus Taylor in the ballot and run for deputy. She is expected to run against Dan Tehan and current deputy leader Ted O’Brien in the Liberal party room at 9am on Friday.

Queensland MP Phil Thompson has rejected that the Liberal Party has a woman problem ahead of an anticipated leadership challenge to Sussan Ley by Angus Taylor.

“I just reject that kind of premise,” the Herbert MP said.

“This isn’t about that at all. It has nothing to do with gender.

“It’s about… what is best for the Australian people, what is best for us as a Liberal party.

“The Labor Party has short memories about what they did to Julia Gillard and what they’ve done to Tanya Plibersek.”

Senion Liberal Jame Hume says she is voting for Angus Taylor in the leadership ballot this morning, also revealing she is putting her hand up to be deputy.

“Sussan Ley is a good person. She has worked incredibly hard,” she told Sunrise.

Ms Hume said that her electorate, and people in other electorates, were telling the Liberal Party they needed “something more”. She would not predict the winner of the ballot but dropped a major clue.

“I do feel that Angus has very strong support in the party room from his colleagues.”

Senator Hume said the “amount of effort the Labor party has gone to, to tear down Angus Taylor down” in recent days, shows they fear him as leader.

Senator Hume said that the Liberal Party had eclipsed its past low lows and needed change today.

Speaking of her record, Senator Hume said she had the experience to offer what was needed for the Liberals as deputy leader.