Liberal leadership contender Andrew Hastie insists “the knives are not being sharpened” for Sussan Ley as his colleagues openly telegraph their desperation to move on from the Jacinta Price debacle.

Ms Ley dumped Senator Price from the Opposition frontbench on Wednesday evening after the outspoken Senator declined to back her leadership amid ongoing damage to the party’s standing with Indian Australians stemming from the senator’s claims about migration.

Frictions in the party played out in public during the week between Senator Price’s initial comments and her sacking.

Mr Hastie, who has been open about his own future leadership ambitions, vowed on Thursday to “always speak my mind” but said once Senator Price couldn’t express confidence in Ms Ley, the outcome was inevitable.

He said

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