ABC South West
3 February 2026
STAN SHAW:
Member for Forest, Ben Small, has ducked out of a meeting in Canberra to join us. G'day.
BEN SMALL MP:
Stan. How are you?
STAN SHAW:
Very good. Do you feel like you're in in an episode of Married at First Sight in that coalition stuff?
BEN SMALL MP:
Look, I wouldn't quite indulge the PM's fantasy there, but the reality is that it doesn't look good. And through the summer break, I spent a lot of time in the community there in the South West. And, you know, at every opportunity, people were coming up to me to stop me in the street or, you know, out and about down the beach or whatever and have a chat about how they thought things were going. And so over the summer period, I did form the view that we were failing as a coalition to cut through and to be seen as a political force that was standing up for the concerns of people who, you know, are struggling to get into a house that they can afford, who are struggling with their power bills, who confront the reality that our Defence Force isn't up to scratch in a dangerous world. These are the sorts of things people are talking to me about in the street. And so that's why I'm concerned that, you know, it ultimately doesn't look like we're standing up for the people that that we need to be.
STAN SHAW:
Are you embarrassed by your colleagues' behaviour?
BEN SMALL MP:
Look, I can only vouch for my own performance, Stan, politics is a team game. And, you know, in every team, even when your favourite team's down in the wooden spoon position, there are certain players that are getting their kicks and taking their marks. And so, you know, in terms of standing up for the South West and ensuring that cuts to regional travel allowance for the NDIS that has had impact, you know, bringing attention to the offshore wind project that I think is wrong for Geographe Bay and standing up for the upgrades that Busselton Airport needs. These are the sorts of things that in all of the noise that goes on in Canberra can be lost unless you are focused on what matters as a local representative.
STAN SHAW:
All the polls are suggesting that One Nation is gaining popularity. One or two polls, polls, I think, suggesting they're even more popular than your own Liberal Party. At what point do you think One Nation became more relevant to conservative voters than your own party? Do you think there was a disconnect there along the line?
BEN SMALL MP:
I'm always very cautious, Stan, not to comment on any one particular poll or this or that. But what I can say is that the conversations that I've had with literally hundreds of South West locals over the last couple of months have led me to form the view that our performance is not up to scratch. And I hasten to add that in every one of those conversations, people said, look, we're very glad to see you on the front foot standing up for us. So, you know, it's not so much a criticism of my performance, in fact, quite the opposite. It was a real endorsement of that. But rather that, you know, they lamented that there wasn't more of it in the Liberal Party at the moment, a genuine hunger to stand up for what matters. And so that's what I've been trying to impress upon colleagues over here this week.
STAN SHAW:
Member for Forrest Ben Small is joining me. And I do appreciate you ducking out of what is a very busy day for you and giving us a few minutes. Your current leader, Suzanne Lee's personal rating is at an all-time low. Angus Taylor, your shadow defence spokesperson, has not ruled out challenging. There's, you know, you probably know more than me, I'm sure you do, but there's word on the street of a leadership challenge. If that's the case in the next little while, who has your vote, Angus or Susan?
BEN SMALL MP:
Look, the great disappointment I've got at the moment is that the person that I think has the conviction, the courage and the cut through to lead the Liberal Party and ultimately stand up for middle Australia has actually ruled himself out. And so at this point, Andrew Hastie, who I would absolutely support to lead the Liberal Party has, in consultation with colleagues, decided it's not his time. So look, politics is an uncertain game and you can only make decisions as and when the facts are known. So at this point, Sussan Ley's the leader and my preferred candidate isn't standing any time soon. So, we'll see how this unfolds in the next few weeks.
STAN SHAW:
But you, backing Andrew Hastie, suggest that Sussan Ley does not have your support whatsoever, your current leader.
BEN SMALL MP:
Well, you know, you can only support a leader when there's a contest on, Stan, and at the moment there is no contest. But I think I have been very clear that the concerns of my community with the inability of the Liberal Party to cut through in the current environment does suggest we need to make some serious changes to what we're doing.
STAN SHAW:
Just quickly before I let you go, and you've been clear that you have, you know, been roaming the streets in Forrest, you’ve been talking to constituents, you've been talking about the issues that matter to them and to you, but this must be very frustrating for you when that stuff's not even cutting through the headlines, the chaos of the Coalition is. I mean, how do you feel personally about what's on?
BEN SMALL MP:
Yeah, frustrated, Stan, no doubt. I mean, I'm the face of a brand and at the moment that brand isn't held in terribly high standing in my own community. And, you know, of course that's frustrating because, again, you know, I feel like I'm making my marks and, you know, trying to get a few runs on the board. And, you know, the rest of the team, you know, well, not the rest of the team, that's unfair, but certainly as a team, team, we aren't doing that uniformly. So, yes, I guess, in a word, it's frustrating.
STAN SHAW:
All right, good luck today at Parliament. I think you've... You guys are sitting by yourself today, aren't you?
BEN SMALL MP:
Yeah, it'll be the first day back to school for us in Parliament here after the emergency sittings for the Bondi legislation. And so we will be sitting apart as Liberal and National Party separately, yes.
STAN SHAW:
Alright, Ben, thank you for ducking out. Do appreciate it. And as always, thank you for being available.
ENDS