Mark Speakman has announced he is stepping down as leader of the NSW Liberal Party.
Speaking at a media conference, Mr Speakman said first-term MP Kellie Sloane told him on Thursday afternoon “she wished to take the leadership”.
Live updates, reactions and contributions from ABC readers.
1m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:41am
Staying on frontbench at TBC for now
Mr Speakman says he’ll have more to say in the next few days about whether he’ll stay on the frontbench.
“I’ll have to digest all that and then see where we go from there,” he says.
2m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:40am
Who is Kellie Sloane?
Kellie Sloane is a first-time MP. She is the Member for Vaucluse and shadow health minister.
When asked if she has enough experience for the top job, Mr Speakman says she brings a wealth of it from a media, business and life perspective.
“So I think she’s someone who is extremely capable of taking that far up.
“And let’s be honest, she has been an absolute stellar performer.”
5m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:37am
Colleagues have to ‘absolutely get behind’ new leader
Mr Speakman says there has been speculation about his leadership from “the day I took it”.
“I would hope that 16 months out from an election, my colleagues realise that whoever they elect tomorrow is someone they have to absolutely get behind.”
6m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:35am
‘Not an overwhelming number of colleagues’ call for exit
After rumours he was tapped on the shoulder, Mr Speakman says no-one came up to him to say “go one mate, on your bike”.
“I had some colleagues today indicate for the first time, after my media exposé this morning, that they thought it better if I went.
“But certainly I’ve not had that from an overwhelming number of colleagues.”
8m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:33am
Sloane’s ‘analysis is correct’
Mr Speakman is discussing his one-on-one conversation with Ms Sloane today.
“She indicated that she wished to be the leader, that she thought our prospects were best if she were.
“I have reluctantly agreed that her analysis is correct.”
13m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:29am
Speakman to remain Member for Cronulla
Mr Speakman is now taking questions.
He says he will stay in his Cronulla seat until the next election and intends to recontest when the time comes.
15m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:26am
‘I’d rather not be giving this press conference’
“Obviously I’d rather not be giving this press conference, but it is in the best interests of the Liberal Party,” Mr Speakman says.
“To clear the air, make sure that the party and the leader has clean air going into the next election.”
Mr Speakman says he will do “whatever I can” to help Ms Sloane with the transition.
16m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:25am
Labor ‘cutting ribbons on our projects’: Speakman
But he isn’t going without a jab at the Minns government.
Mr Speakman says Labor has “plagiarised a lot of our legislation”.
“It is a government that is light on the big picture, light on the vision.
“Excellent at cutting ribbons on our projects.
“It’s also been a government that has, putting it as politely as possible, a very modest legislation plan.”
18m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:23am
Speakman’s values
Mr Speakman is currently speaking about policies and values he believes the party should continue to focus on.
In the mix is AI, metros, diversity and housing.
21m agoThu 20 Nov 2025 at 6:20am
Speakman’s message to the Libs
“To all the members of the Liberal party, it is tough times to be a Liberal at the moment.
“But don’t give up we have the right values and the right policies,” he says.
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“She believed that the interests of the party would be best served if she took the reins, and I have reluctantly agreed that that is so,” he said.
Mr Speakman said there had been “challenges” to the modern Liberal Party, but he had done his best to address them during his leadership.
“You know that when you become a first-term opposition leader, you know what the odds are.” he said.
“You know that no first-term opposition leader has won an election either in New South Wales or federally since the 1930s.
“You know what the odds are. But I wanted to give it a red-hot go and I believe I have given it a red-hot go.”
Speakman started day defiantly
Earlier today, he declared he would need to be “blasted out” of the role, but his stance shifted this afternoon when it became clear his support had eroded.
Shadow Attorney-General Alister Henskens has been testing support among MPs for a potential challenge to Mr Speakman’s leadership.
The two men sat centimetres from each other in parliament during question time, while government frontbenchers made quips about Mr Speakman’s perilous position.
Kellie Sloane has been backed to take over the leadership. (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)
Ms Sloane, the shadow health minister, has significant support among Liberal MPs and would easily defeat Mr Speakman in a leadership challenge.
However, she has been reluctant to call for a spill out of loyalty to the leader.
Arriving at parliament today, Liberal MP Wendy Tuckerman publicly declared her support for Mr Henskins in the event of a leadership spill.
She resigned from the frontbench earlier this year, citing frustration with the party’s energy policy.
Several moderate faction MPs who have long supported Mr Speakman told the ABC they were surprised and frustrated when Mr Speakman dug in this morning.
The first sign of Mr Speakman’s change of heart occurred at lunchtime, when his office delayed a series of television interviews he was due to give.
Then, the media appearances were cancelled altogether as Mr Speakman prepared to make an announcement about his future.