Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Politics
Dominic Giannini and Tess Ikonomou

Queenslander Dutton elected Liberal leader

Peter Dutton has been elected unopposed as the new Liberal leader, and former environment minister Sussan Ley will become his deputy.

Mr Dutton, the former defence minister, won a party room leadership spill in Canberra on Monday and will replace Scott Morrison who led the coalition to defeat at the federal election.

Ahead of the vote by Liberal MPs, Queensland's Stuart Robert said the pair would be unopposed.

"(I'm) super happy about the party room and the leadership team we're bringing in," he told Nine Network on Monday.

Mr Dutton is the first Queenslander to lead the Liberal Party since it was founded in 1944.

The Dickson MP had been touted as Mr Morrison's likely replacement since the coalition lost government on May 21.

Mr Dutton, a former police officer, had spruiked his credentials for the job of opposition leader.

"In a prime minister you need someone who won't buckle in hard times and will stand up for our country and I have proven that in the portfolios I've had," he wrote on Facebook.

"My work ethic is second to none and I have the skill and experience having served five leaders and have learnt from each."

Mr Dutton has pledged to take the party back to its core values and represent the aspirational "forgotten people" of Australia.

"We aren't the Moderate Party. We aren't the Conservative Party. We are Liberals," the post said.

Earlier on Monday, NSW Liberal senator Hollie Hughes said Mr Dutton would lead the party back to the centre as it looks to rebuild.

Former immigration minister Alex Hawke said the party had a strong history of accommodating both progressive and conservative Liberals.

"That's a strength, not a weakness and I think that blend is very important," he said ahead of the vote.

The party room was also expected to discuss some of the lessons to be learned from the coalition's federal election defeat on May 21.

"The party room is the opportunity for everyone to get together, to have a conversation, to share how things have gone, not just to elect their leadership team," Mr Robert said.

Mr Hawke said the Liberals were blindsided in the election.

"We were blindsided in areas of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Votes that went to the Greens, votes that went to the teals, this is something we have to look at, what policies will appeal to those people," he said.

Mr Robert also said he expected there would be more women on the front bench once Mr Dutton settles on a reshuffle.

"We've got so many talented women in our ranks and you'd expect that talent to be recognised and rewarded," he told Sky News.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.