Sunshine Coast MP Ted O’Brien has lost his position as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in a party room spill.
The upheaval saw Angus Taylor replace incumbent leader Sussan Ley, while Victorian senator Jane Hume was elected deputy, ousting O’Brien from the party’s top ranks.
The leadership vote – held in the party room at Parliament House – culminated in Taylor securing a decisive victory over Ley by 34 votes to 17, signalling deep dissatisfaction among Liberal MPs with the party’s direction and polling position in opposition.
Ley, who made history in May 2025 as the first woman to lead the Liberal Party and serve as Opposition Leader, lasted just nine months in the role before being unseated.
In the closely watched deputy leadership contest that followed, Jane Hume emerged victorious after multiple ballots, ultimately defeating O’Brien 30 votes to 20. The result ends O’Brien’s tenure as deputy – a role he had held since May 2025 and one regarded as crucial amid efforts to rebuild the party after its landslide loss at the 2025 federal election.
O’Brien, who represents the Sunshine Coast-area seat of Fairfax, had been a key figure in the party’s shadow cabinet, serving as Shadow Treasurer under Ley and a senior voice on economic policy.
His loss reflects both factional shifts within the party and mounting frustration over the Coalition’s standing in the polls.
The leadership spill was preceded by days of internal manoeuvring, including the resignation of several senior frontbenchers and growing dissent over Ley’s stewardship.
For O’Brien, the defeat marks a significant political setback. While he is expected to remain on the backbench and continue serving his constituents in Fairfax, losing the deputy leadership – a high-profile platform for influencing national policy – will limit his direct role in steering party strategy.
O’Brien said he intends to remain in federal politics even after losing the deputy leadership. He said: “I’m not planning on going anywhere.”
“Everyone in the room respects the outcome.”
