Australian news and politics live: Sussan Ley responds after Liberal says she’s losing support amid net zero

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You can read tonight’s edition of The Nightly below:

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has repeatedly refused to comment on criticisms of her leadership made by Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson.

On Friday Senator Henderson refused to back Ms Ley’s position and claimed her leader was losing support in the Liberal party room.

When asked by a reporter for a response to Senator Henderson’s remarks, Ms Ley said: “I’m not going to comment on commentary.”

“You wouldn’t expect me to. Because I’m not focused on comments that other people relate to me or that might be made in a variety of contexts. The only thing I care about is working hard for the Australian people.”

Pressed further on her view of the Victorian Senator’s remarks, Ms Ley replied: “I value every single member of my team, including the good senator that you’ve just mentioned.”

“In order to interrogate her views, you should probably ask her. I’m not commenting on commentary.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley insists her “team is united” despite a fresh outbreak of undermining of her position from Liberal colleagues.

On Friday Victorian Senator and factional enemy Sarah Hendson told Sky News she believed her leader was losing support and “things are not good”.

“I can’t pretend things are good. We’ve had a dire Newspoll result. A primary vote of just 24 per cent, things are not travelling well. I do have to say, really honestly”.

Speaking to reporters in Canberra, Ms Ley said she wouldn’t comment directly on the criticisms levelled at her leadership.

“We are united around our values, the values of the Liberal Party, aspiration, enterprise, freedom and choice.”

Liberal Leader Sussan Ley has refused to comment on criticisms from Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson, saying she respects the views of all her colleagues.

Speaking after Senator Henderson criticised her leadership and declared she was losing support in the party room, Ms Ley defended her record.

“I’m proud of my team and I know that every single member of that team is contributing to the serious credible policy agenda that I spoke about.”

“I value every single member of my team, including the good Senator that you’ve just mentioned. In order to interrogate her view, you should probably ask her. I’m not commenting on commentary.”

Liberal backbencher Andrew Hastie says he disagrees with his leader’s decision to bring MPs back to Canberra next week to discuss climate and energy policy, because it will mean missing Remembrance Day commemorations.

The West Australian MP and possible leadership contender says he raised his objections about the timing of the party room meeting with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.

“My preference was to do it in 10 days or so, but the call is the Leader’s. I made that clear,” he told Radio 2GB on Friday.

“It’s not overly convenient for Western Australian members flying over on Remembrance Day, so I’ll have to withdraw from a local event here. But we’ve got to get this energy stuff sorted, and it’s critical we do because we’re not in the fight until we have a clear position on energy.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is about to front the media, after Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson said Ms Ley is losing support in the party room and won’t “pretend things are good”.

It comes as the Coalition continues to grapple with climate policy.

We’ll bring you live updates here.

Fellow Victorian Senator Jane Hume says she doesn’t share the view of her Liberal colleague Sarah Henderson that their leader is losing support.

Speaking to reporters at Parliament House, Senator Hume says she’s glad opposition leader Sussan Ley has convened a meeting next week to settle climate policy.

“I think Sussan has been really consistent in her messaging since she was elected. She has wanted to lower emissions, but not at any cost,” she says.

“It’s important we get this policy right because Australians have seen their energy prices rise by about 40 per cent under Labor,” Senator Hume adds.

Victorian Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson has conceded Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is losing support in the party room as the Coalition continues to grapple with climate policy.

Appearing on Sky News, she said she can’t pretend the situation in the Liberal Party is good after a “dire” Newspoll result showed its primary vote at a record low.

“There’s been a lot of pretty brutal backgrounding, and I don’t want to do that. I want to be authentic, and I want to be honest. As a member of parliament, I can’t pretend things are good”.

“We’ve had a dire Newspoll result, a primary vote of just 24 per cent. Things are not travelling well. I do have to say, really honestly, I do think Sussan [Ley] is losing support.

“But I do believe in miracles, we can turn things around. But things are not good. I don’t support things the way they are at the moment”.

A Virgin Australia plane has caught fire with 180 people on board the aircraft.

Virgin Australia flight VA454, which had flown from Darwin to Brisbane, had just touched down around 7.30pm when the brakes appear to have caught fire.

Emergency crews raced to the plane, while passengers were still on board, dousing the tyres as they desperately attempted to control the situation.

Concerned onlookers captured the moment emergency crews battled the blaze, with smoke seen billowing from under the plane.

No injuries have been reported, however, the concerning incident has sparked an official investigation.

“Airport firefighters responded to a brake fire on flight VA454 which occurred after landing at Brisbane Airport last night,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson told The Nightly.

Read the full story.

Sussan Ley has been savaged by a former Liberal leader for lacking strategy and leadership, as the party grapples with infighting and demoralising polling.

The Opposition Leader has been accused of failing to articulate a way forward for the Liberals, who are edging closer to a final position on their energy and climate change policy.

After a fortnight of damaging infighting and wild leadership speculation, Ms Ley has called a series of party room meetings to bed down a new approach to energy and emissions reduction.

As the party prepares to negotiate its final policy, former Liberal leader John Hewson has delivered a withering assessment of Ms Ley and the party she leads.

“She hasn’t shown any clear strategy, or any strong capacity in terms of leadership,” he told AAP.

Read the full story.