‘No Liberal leader can survive a fire on the right’, but arsonists surround Ley

Politics

Federal

Liberal Party

Opinion

Peter Hartcher Political and international editor October 25, 2025 — 5.00am

The May election generally was acknowledged to have been disastrous for the Coalition. But the disaster continues to unfold. On its current trajectory, it will extinguish itself as a party of government in the current term.

Not because of the genius of the government. Labor’s polling numbers are essentially unchanged since election day. The onrushing disaster is self-inflicted. There’s an angry, self-destructive impulse coursing through the Coalition itself.

It’s true that Labor successfully entrenched itself squarely in the centre of the electorate, taking seats from the left and the right to amass its commanding majority.

The rational response to this is obviou