Hits keep coming for Liberals as party seeks revival
State and federal Liberals face a mission to restore trust in the party's brand after enduring setbacks on multiple fronts.
As the federal party picks itself off the canvas after a thumping election defeat, the hits keep coming in key states.
Predictions that Victoria would swing hard to the coalition on the back of anger at unpopular Labor premier Jacinta Allan proved wildly off the mark.
And the state Liberals on Friday again hit the headlines for the wrong reasons when former opposition leader John Pesutto was ordered to pay $2.3 million in costs after defaming first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The scale of the final bill has raised internal fears about Mr Pesutto's ability to pay, with MPs ineligible to sit in Victorian parliament if they declare bankruptcy.
Further north, the embattled NSW division of the party and a former state director are being sued over bungled council nominations that left more than 140 candidates off ballots in 2024.
The party missed the deadline to nominate candidates for local elections.
Those left off ballots included sitting councillors in party heartland such as Sydney's northern beaches, where Tony Abbott and Bronwyn Bishop enjoyed long reigns as federal MPs.
In South Australia, the Liberals are at long odds to return to government at the 2026 election after being reduced to 13 lower house seats.
And it's an even bleaker outlook in Western Australia where the state Liberals recently lost a third-straight election and face a battle to win power at the next poll.
Hopes of a nation-wide revival had been high in 2024 when Queensland's Liberal National Party and the Northern Territory's Country Liberal Party both won elections and the federal coalition led in the polls.
The Tasmanian Liberal government retained power in 2024 but the island state's premier Jeremy Rockliff has faced set backs since, including the loss of two senior ministers including his deputy premier, forcing a reshuffle.
Support for the party has plummeted among millennial and Gen Z voters, many of whom have turned to minor parties or independents.
At a federal level, the party hopes to win back female voters under the leadership of Sussan Ley.
"The number of women supporting us is declining and I want to rule the line under that," Ms Ley said after prevailing in a leadership contest.
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