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NSW Liberal Leader Mark Speakman has stood down as leader of the Opposition just hours after announcing he would ‘fight’ to remain in the top spot.
Speakman quit his position on Thursday after several moderate faction MPs earlier claimed his time was ‘over’.
The move is expected to make way for Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane to take over, with Wahroonga MP Alister Henskens also understood to have thrown his hat in the ring.
Sloane was elected in 2023 following a high-profile broadcasting career at Channel Nine and a stint as National CEO of Life Ed, best known for its Healthy Harold program.
In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Speakman supported Sloane as his successor.
‘Notwithstanding my best efforts, it has now reached the point where it is impossible to get clear air,’ he said.
‘No matter what policy announcements I make… no matter how ambitious I am to make sure that the Liberal party engages with Gen Z, engages with the multicultural community, and engages with women.
‘There is just too much white noise that interferes with that message. And I will never get the clean air that’s needed… Kellie Sloane will be a fantastic leader, if selected by the Parliamentary Liberal party. She is someone of enormous talent.’
NSW Liberal Leader Mark Speakman (pictured) has stepped down from his position
He also addressed comments he made on ABC Radio Sydney on Thursday morning about ‘fighting’ to hold leadership.
‘A day is a long time in politics. Half a day is a long time in politics. And even a few hours are a long time in politics,’ Speakman said.
‘This morning the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the jacarandas were blooming.
‘And I was on breakfast radio and on TV and saying that I would be continuing as Liberal party leader at that stage.
‘No alternative candidate had come forward to tell me they wanted to be the leader. No colleague had said to me they thought it would be better if I resigned.
‘But as I said, a day or even half a day or a few hours is a long time in politics.’
Daily Mail understands the leadership vote to replace Speakman will be held on Friday.
A senior Liberal MP, who could not comment publicly due to party rules, said Speakman’s leadership was over when he failed to act on rumours Henskens was going after the leadership in the ‘ultimate act of treachery’.
Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane (pictured) is expected to take over the leadership position
Sloane was elected in 2023 following a broadcasting career at Channel Nine
‘The final blow to Speakman’s credibility was when Henskens was caught out for being treacherous and Speakman um’d and ah’d up until this very day over how to deal with it,’ the MP said.
‘Colleagues noticed how he failed to act and instead of action we got hand wringing which allowed Henskens to continue to stir up trouble and mischief.
‘Even when Henskens spoke to the right-wing caucus about his intention to challenge last week, Speakman’s paralysis continued.’
During his press conference, Speakman also shared his thoughts on his party’s decision to continue backing net-zero emissions by 2050.
The NSW Liberal Party on Tuesday voted to stick with the goal, despite its federal counterpart ditching the 2050 target last week.
‘If you want to be a conservative, you can’t just be a conservative on economics or on institutions. You should be conservative on the environment as well,’ Speakman said.
‘And having that custodianship and that stewardship of the environment has to be part of our message to young people, not only as a matter of politics, but because it is the right thing to do.’
Another Liberal MP, speaking to AAP on the condition of anonymity, earlier said replacing Speakman was a necessary move.
Sloane was also the national CEO of Life Ed, best known for its Healthy Harold program, before getting into politics
‘We want to win government and it’s not about the individual, it’s about the team,’ the MP said.
‘It’s nothing personal against Mark, it’s time … the emperor is going to have to put on their new gear.’
Speakman had earlier on Thursday insisted he wasn’t giving up.
‘Reports of my death are grossly exaggerated and I’m here to fight,’ he told 2GB Radio, borrowing a Mark Twain phrase.
‘I would expect anyone who wants to be the leader, who wants to knock me off… would come and tell me and no one has.’
The move against Speakman comes after Victoria’s Liberal opposition this week dumped Brad Battin as leader and installed first-term MP Jess Wilson.
Speakman was animated in a tense question time in parliament on Thursday, while Premier Chris Minns appeared unfazed.
Outside parliament, independent MP Rod Roberts described the roiling leadership spectacle as a ‘Game of Thrones’.
He cautioned the Liberals needed to move swiftly in order to become an effective opposition with a state election less than 18 months away.
The Liberal Party needed one-third of its sitting MPs to agree to a meeting in order to allow contenders to challenge for the position.
The NSW coalition has been in upheaval after the Nationals elected Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh as leader on Tuesday, unopposed, after Dugald Saunders’ shock resignation for family reasons.
