Angus Taylor Rejects Labor's Net Zero Ideology in Major Liberal Party Reset
Just days after toppling Sussan Ley in a decisive leadership spill, new Liberal leader Angus Taylor has declared the party will reject what he calls Labor's "net zero ideology," vowing to overhaul energy policy as part of a broader attempt to rebuild after a devastating election loss.
Taylor, who defeated Ley 34 votes to 17 in Friday's ballot, before she announced her resignation from Parliament, fronted Sunrise on Monday alongside deputy Jane Hume, acknowledging the party was at its "lowest ebb" since its formation in 1944.
Break with Labor's Climate Policy
Within days of securing the leadership, he signalled a break with Labor's climate policy, placing household energy costs at the centre of the party's rebuild. "We are rejecting Labor's net zero ideology, which is driving up prices, reducing reliability, making life harder for Australian businesses and households," Taylor said.
Taylor stopped short of recommitting to nuclear power, a policy he has championed before the election, instead arguing that energy policy must not be "ideological" and must be focused on bringing prices down. "We need every fuel source in the mix. This is so crucial. Labor is failing because they picked their favourites, it's all ideological, and Australians pay for it."
Restoring Confidence Among Australians
Both Taylor and Hume framed the reset as an attempt to restore confidence among Australians who feel worse off financially. "People are losing hope ... and that must be turned around straight away," Taylor said.
The leadership team argued Australians had seen their standard of living decline by around 10 per cent over the past four years, leaving many feeling locked out of home ownership and business creation. "What we want to give people is that sense that next year is going to be better than last year," Hume said. "And they haven't had that for so long under Labor."
Tougher Stance on Migration
Taylor also outlined a tougher stance on migration, saying intake numbers should be reduced and intelligence agencies properly resourced to vet potential migrants and workers. He said those who do not accept Australian values should be barred from entering the country.
"We believe in democracy. We believe that you need to obey the law. We believe in basic freedoms of speech and religion. And if people don't accept those things, they shouldn't come to our country, the door should be shut," he said. Taylor added that people coming to Australia to live and work should acknowledge and accept those "basic beliefs."
Challenges and Electoral Tests
The reset comes as polling shows the Liberals level with One Nation at 23 per cent, with the minor party drawing increasing support from disaffected conservatives. Hume acknowledged the scale of the challenge. "We're not under any illusion that we're coming from behind, which was probably why this reset was desperately needed," she said.
"We know that One Nation is a party of grievance, but people are rightly aggrieved right now. When they've seen their standard of living going backwards by around 10 per cent in the last four years, they're looking for answers, they weren't finding it in the Liberal Party, and that's why this reset is needed."
The spill that elevated Taylor also triggered a looming by-election in Ley's regional seat of Farrer, setting up an early electoral test of the party's new direction as it attempts to stem voter losses and reassert itself as one of the nation's dominant political forces.
