EDITORIAL: Taylor must reverse Liberals’ downward spiral
Good policies, good candidates, good communication, managing relations with the Nationals and plain old smart politics will be needed to claw back disgruntled conservatives.
The Federal Liberal Party has been in a disastrous downward spiral.
But on Friday it got at least one thing right. Not the party room’s choice of Angus Taylor to replace Sussan Ley — the jury is out on that — but it was at least able to make the change with the decisive vote needed, with Mr Taylor successful 34-17,
Senator Jane Hume is the new deputy leader. The pair will not get a chance to bask in their wins. The first test already looms after Ms Ley announced she would be quitting politics, meaning a by-election in her NSW seat of Farrer.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.One Nation has already announced it will run “a strong candidate”.
And Climate 200-backed Independent Michelle Milthorpe, who came close to beating Ms Ley at the 2025 election, has said she will have another crack. Further pressure from independents on the Right is also possible.
Labor has already launched social media attacks on Mr Taylor, highlighting his missteps as shadow treasurer.
Mr Taylor’s first press conference as leader wisely saw him concede that at the last election “we got some big calls wrong”.
He vowed to return to Liberal core values and to fighting the Government on issues like tax, and polices that drive inflation and interest rates.
Mr Taylor also nominated restoring home ownership and the need to tackle Australia’s rate of immigration and to ensure migrants subscribed to Australian values — a constant focus for One Nation.
There was also time to thank Ms Ley for her work.
Taking on the leadership out of the wreckage of the last election was always likely to be a poisoned chalice.
Ms Ley was undermined from the start and unable to get the party back to where it needed to be.
To her credit, after being rolled Ms Ley delivered a dignified speech, thanking those who supported her, saying she genuinely had no hard feelings towards those who hadn’t backed her, and she wished Mr Taylor well.
The focus is now squarely on Mr Taylor. He is a Rhodes Scholar, who Liberal Senator James Paterson described as the “smartest policy brain in the shadow cabinet”.
That does not necessarily mean political success. Good policies, good candidates, good communication, managing relations with the Nationals and plain old smart politics will be needed to claw back disgruntled conservatives from One Nation and reconnect with urban voters who have shifted to the Teals.
The Coalition parties need to cut out the internal noise and deliver what the country needs — a strong and credible Opposition which can hold the Labor Government to account across multiple issues such as the economy, Government spending and housing.
Voters will be keen to see — and will judge — whether Friday is the start of a Liberal drive towards the next election or merely a pause ahead of another bout of instability.
The party this week faced what was portrayed as a “change or die moment”. They have one change. More are required to ward off the second part of the equation.
