TV interview with Minister Butler, Sunrise - 13 February 2026

NATALIE BARR, HOST: In just under two hours, the Liberal Party will vote for a new leader and deputy leader. Let’s bring in Liberal Senator Jane Hume and Health Minister Mark Butler. Good morning to both of you.
 
Jane, will you throw your hat in the ring to be deputy leader?
 
SENATOR JANE HUME: Nat, yes, I will. But I think it’s really important to explain why that is. The Liberal Party is at a really critical juncture right now. We are sitting at a crossroads, and we can’t sit idly by while we see our support erode. This government is not doing a good job. It’s support isn’t increasing. People are feeling rightly aggrieved, but they’re not seeing an alternative from a Liberal opposition. We need to be able to hold the government to account, but we also need to be able to provide a credible alternative to voters at the next election.
 
Now, do not get me wrong for a second here. Sussan Ley is a good person. She has worked incredibly hard in service of her party and her country. But when my colleagues and I go back to our electorates, people are telling us that they need something more. That’s why this is occurring today. That’s why when it comes to the party room, I’ll be supporting a change in leadership. I’ll be supporting Angus Taylor’s candidacy, and I’ll also be putting my own hand up for the role of deputy leader.
 
BARR: Okay, and you’re announcing that right here, that you’re putting your name up for deputy leader. Jane, during the last election campaign, you did face significant blowback, first for spearheading the controversial return to office policy, then backflipping on it. Then, claiming Chinese spies might be handing out how to vote cards for Labor. Do you think that will hurt your cause to serve as deputy leader?
 
HUME: I think that all of my colleagues and I have reflected on the last election where things went wrong because at that point in time, at the end of that election campaign, the Coalition had its lowest primary vote ever. But the problem is now that lowest primary vote ever has been eroded even further. Around 5 million Australians voted for the Liberal Party last election; about 2 million of them have already decided to park their vote elsewhere. That is unsustainable. What we need to do now is make sure that we have a clear and consistent message about why the Liberal Party is where their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations are best placed. We need to hold the government to account but also provide that credible alternative. That’s why I’m supporting Angus Taylor. That’s why I’m putting my hand up for deputy, because I think that my 10 years of experience in the Parliament, my roles in government as a minister and also as a shadow minister in opposition will help Angus and help the team to develop those credible policies and make sure that we can articulate them so that we can be that credible alternative.
 
BARR: Mark, you’re on the sidelines here with the Labor Government. Do you think Jane would make a good deputy?
 
MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS: Look, I don't get a vote. You know I'm a big fan of Jane's. I think she's a terrific communicator.
 
HUME: I wish you did, Mark.
 
BUTLER: She's a terrific communicator, and for the life of me, I don't understand why she was banished to the backbench but that's probably cost her five votes, just me saying that. The real question, though, really is why Angus Taylor? What is it about Angus's view of the world that is going to change for the Liberal Party, but more importantly, for Australian voters who are looking for a credible alternative? And really importantly, what is it in Angus's record that qualifies him to be the alternative prime minister of the country? I mean, he was a terrible energy minister, I can tell you that. I shadowed him. I've shadowed three Liberals in my time in opposition; Josh Frydenberg and Greg Hunt, who I disagreed with quite a lot, but whom I respected for their capacity and their work ethic. I just thought Angus was a failure as an energy minister. I think he was a terrible shadow treasurer, and he hasn't told the Australian people what has changed and what he learned from, I think, the times he spent in those roles that generally are accepted as being pretty ordinary.
 
BARR: Jane, that's a very good question. First of all, has Angus Taylor got the numbers? Is he going to win by 10 votes?
 
HUME: Well, I wouldn't presume to pre-empt a party room response, but I do feel that Angus has very strong support in the party room from his colleagues. What I would say, though, is that the amount of effort that the Labor Party have already gone into trying to tear down Angus Taylor, I think speaks volumes of just how much they fear him as a potential leader of the Liberal Party.
 
BARR: Hang on, Jane. During the last election campaign -
 
HUME: This is a man that that was extraordinary -
 
BARR: Wait, wait, wait. During the last election campaign, Jane, can you honestly say that Angus Taylor socked it to the government on energy or on the cost of living?
 
HUME: Having worked very closely with Angus Taylor, I know that he's one of the greatest intellects and biggest policy brains that exists in the Liberal Party. And the most important thing now -
 
BARR: And did that cut through?
 
HUME: - is that we let him have an opportunity to develop the policies that he knows he wants to deliver for the Australian people. He's been an incredibly successful business person outside of politics, something that you can't say about too many people on the Labor side of politics. He has an incredible background and amazing academic history. He's a good man. He's a good man and a great Liberal, and he deserves an opportunity to lead.
 
BARR: Well, that sounds like a good pitch for the party room. Mark Butler, do you think that will translate for the electorate?
 
BUTLER: I could have brought a long list of quotes from Liberal Party MPs voicing their opinions of Angus's record. He might have been a good businessman outside of politics. He's not been a successful policymaker. He's not been a successful communicator. One of the Liberal MPs quoted over the last several days said, everything Angus touches turns to custard. Well, they didn't actually say custard, but I'm saying custard on breakfast TV. But at the end of the day, if he wins, if he rolls Sussan Ley, he's got a big job ahead of him to turn what has been a very ordinary record in public life around and demonstrate an alternative vision for Australia, because we haven't heard it over the last few days since he launched this challenge.
 
BARR: Okay. Well, all reports say it will be Angus Taylor and all reports say it will be Jane Hume. So we'll see in just over an hour and a half's time. Jane, Mark, thank you very much for your time.
 
HUME: Thanks, Nat.
 
BARR: We'll see you next week. Actually, probably, Jane, we might see you sooner.