Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has called for a party 'rebrand' to win back voters, as the Coalition's primary vote hit a historic low of 17% in the latest Newspoll. The comment came after Opposition Leader Angus Taylor claimed the Morrison government had 'breached trust' during the pandemic.
McIntosh's rebrand proposal
Speaking on Sky News, McIntosh, the shadow minister for the NDIS, said, 'I think it's time for the Liberal party to rebrand itself.' She noted that some people perceive the party as 'stuck in the past' and that policies need to 'resonate with the Australia of today and the future.' When asked whether a name change was necessary, she replied, 'We need to get some experts in.' She added that the party should not 'look like we're stuck in the past' but instead present as 'a modern party with modern values that resonate with not only older people, but women as well.'
Taylor's leadership under pressure
Angus Taylor, who replaced Sussan Ley over four months ago amid poor polling, has seen the Coalition's primary vote slide further. The Newspoll, released on Monday, showed the Coalition at 17%, well behind Labor (33%) and One Nation (29%), and barely above the Greens (13%). A separate Redbridge research poll also showed rising support for Labor. Taylor defended himself on 2GB radio, saying, 'You can't turn around a tanker in a few months.' He claimed the Coalition is 'solid as a rock' after being in 'freefall' under Ley, but conceded that rebuilding trust takes time.
Labor's ridicule and internal dissent
McIntosh's remarks were ridiculed by Labor in question time. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, 'No wonder they're struggling over there. We had a shadow minister earlier today speak about abandoning the Liberal party name.' Housing Minister Clare O'Neil added, 'We've got frontbenchers openly saying that they need to rethink the existence of their political party.' Meanwhile, Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, seen as a future leader, praised Taylor's leadership and said the party is focused on 'winning government.' Liberal Senator Jonno Duniam, who is retiring, said the party had been 'lost in the wash' amid a 'crowded marketplace.'
Taylor's admission of breached trust
In an interview with The Australian, Taylor said the pandemic was one time the Coalition 'breached trust' by allowing 'big government to become accepted.' He stated, 'We needed to come out of Covid with a strong plan to pare back on both spending and the role of government in people's lives.' He added that this is 'widely accepted on our side of politics now' but rebuilding trust takes time.
