Angus Taylor has been elected as the new leader of Australia's Liberal Party, succeeding Sussan Ley after a party room spill. In his first press conference, Taylor declared the party must “change or die” and outlined a tough stance on immigration, promising to stop “bad immigration” and shut out those seeking to “import the hatred and violence of another place to Australia”. He did not, however, provide specific details on how he would differentiate his approach from his predecessor or define what constitutes “bad immigration”.
Taylor faces a diminished parliamentary party at a record low in opinion polls, with the Coalition holding just 42 seats. He also confronts an existential threat from the right-wing One Nation party, which has surged to a 27% primary vote compared to the Coalition's 18% in the latest Newspoll. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has called for restrictions on immigration from “fundamentalist Islamic countries”, but Taylor insisted the Liberals would not become “One Nation lite”.
The new leader acknowledged significant mistakes during the last election campaign, including opposing Labor's income tax cuts and supporting restrictions on working from home for public servants. Both policies were widely seen as contributing to the Coalition's heavy defeat. Taylor and his deputy, Jane Hume, admitted these errors, with Taylor saying the party had “stopped listening to Australians” and would now focus on conviction politics.
Taylor prioritised immigration and cost-of-living issues, claiming high migration levels were straining infrastructure and housing. He vowed to “restore our standard of living and protect our way of life”, with an emphasis on home ownership for young people. However, he declined to specify how the Coalition would reduce migration numbers or whether it would introduce new citizenship tests or country-specific restrictions.
The new leader will face an early test in the Farrer by-election, triggered by Ley's resignation. With the party in crisis, Taylor's ability to reclaim lost voters from One Nation and community independents will determine the Liberal Party's future direction.
