Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has launched a fierce attack on the Liberal Party, currently led by Sussan Ley, calling it “a party full of wankers” and accusing it of being cheap for soliciting and spending huge sums of money from within the Liberal Party itself to prop up her leadership when Sussan Ley faces the risk of being ousted in search of a new leader.
“A bland, useless leader—even though the Liberal Party is quite large, she hasn’t left any impression at all, and don’t dream of borrowing my money to buy votes.” Tensions escalated further when Ley hit back: “Besides money, what have you ever done for Australia, you useless old man?” The political feud intensified when Clive Palmer immediately held a press conference and issued a simple 15-word statement that appeared to push Sussan Ley out of the Liberal Party leadership seat!! “Sussan Ley is finished—Liberal Party is dead unless it dumps her tomorrow morning.”
In the cutthroat world of Australian politics, few figures generate as much noise and controversy as Clive Palmer. The mining magnate turned political disruptor has once again thrust himself into the national spotlight with a blistering assault on the Liberal Party and its beleaguered leader, Sussan Ley. What began as a pointed critique quickly escalated into a full-blown public feud that has left political observers stunned and the Liberal Party reeling.
On February 4, 2026, Palmer unleashed what many are calling his most savage attack yet. In a series of explosive interviews and social media posts, the billionaire branded the Liberal Party “a party full of wankers”—a crude but unmistakable insult that implies the party is filled with self-important, ineffective individuals more interested in personal gain than public service. He did not stop there. Palmer accused the party of desperation, claiming it had been “begging and spending huge sums of money from within its own ranks” to shore up Sussan Ley’s faltering leadership amid growing calls for her removal.
Palmer’s venom was particularly directed at Ley herself. “A bland, useless leader—even though the Liberal Party is quite large, she hasn’t left any impression at all,” he declared. He mocked the notion that the party could recover by throwing money at the problem, warning, “Don’t dream of borrowing my money to buy votes.” For a man who once spent hundreds of millions on his own political ventures, the jab carried extra sting.
The Liberal Party, still licking its wounds from recent electoral setbacks, was already under immense pressure. Internal divisions had widened, with factional battles and poor polling numbers fueling speculation that Ley’s days as leader were numbered. Palmer’s intervention poured fuel on the fire, amplifying whispers that the party needed a drastic change at the top.
Ley, never one to back down from a fight, fired back swiftly and personally. In a statement that quickly went viral, she retorted: “Besides money, what have you ever done for Australia, you useless old man?” The insult was a direct hit at Palmer’s age and his long history of failed political campaigns, despite his vast wealth. It was a risky move—Ley was taking on one of the country’s richest and most unpredictable figures—but it showed she was unwilling to let the attacks go unanswered.
The exchange ignited a media frenzy. Talkback radio, television panels, and social media feeds lit up with debate. Supporters of Ley accused Palmer of bullying and hypocrisy, pointing to his own record of lavish election spending. Palmer’s backers, meanwhile, cheered him as a truth-teller exposing the emptiness of the major parties. The feud became the dominant story of the political week, overshadowing policy discussions and coalition tensions.
Then, in a dramatic twist, Palmer called a hastily arranged press conference in Brisbane. Flanked by a handful of aides and standing before a simple backdrop, he delivered a single, devastating 15-word statement: “Sussan Ley is finished—Liberal Party is dead unless it dumps her tomorrow morning.”
The room erupted. Journalists scrambled to record the exact phrasing. Within minutes, the quote was splashed across every major news outlet in Australia. Political analysts dissected every word. Was this the final nail in Ley’s leadership coffin? Had Palmer, with just 15 words, delivered a blow so powerful that it forced the Liberal Party to act?
Insiders say the statement sent shockwaves through the Liberal ranks. Some MPs privately admitted the pressure to remove Ley had intensified overnight. Others dismissed Palmer as a sideshow, insisting the party would not be dictated to by an outsider with a grudge. Yet the damage was done. Ley’s position, already precarious, now appeared untenable in the eyes of many observers.
The broader implications are profound. The Liberal Party has been grappling with an identity crisis for years. Repeated election losses, leadership spills, and policy flip-flops have eroded voter trust. Palmer’s attack taps into a deep well of public cynicism toward the major parties. By framing the Liberals as arrogant, ineffective, and desperate, he reinforces the narrative that they are out of touch and unworthy of government.
Palmer himself has a long and turbulent history with the Liberal Party. Once a member for four decades, he left in disgust, accusing the party of betraying conservative principles. He founded the United Australia Party and later the Trumpet of Patriots, pouring enormous sums into advertising and campaigns that often targeted the major parties. Though his parties rarely win many seats, they have influenced preference flows and shifted public debate.
This latest salvo fits the Palmer playbook: loud, unfiltered, and designed to inflict maximum damage. Whether it succeeds in toppling Ley remains to be seen, but it has undoubtedly deepened the party’s crisis. Calls for a leadership spill have grown louder, with several high-profile Liberals reportedly weighing their options.
Ley, for her part, has vowed to fight on. In a defiant interview, she described Palmer’s comments as “the ravings of a bitter billionaire who can’t accept that the Liberal Party is bigger than his ego.” Yet privately, allies acknowledge the damage. The 15-word bombshell has become a rallying cry for her critics within the party.
As the dust settles, Australia’s political landscape looks more fractured than ever. The Coalition remains divided, minor parties circle like vultures, and public faith in the system continues to erode. Clive Palmer, ever the provocateur, has once again proven that in politics, words—especially when backed by billions—can wound deeply.
Whether Sussan Ley survives the week or the Liberal Party finally heeds Palmer’s brutal advice, one thing is clear: this feud is far from over. And in the unpredictable world of Australian politics, the next chapter promises to be just as explosive.
