Angus Taylor Elected Liberal Leader, Signals Immigration and Tax Reform

Melbourne, February 13: Angus Taylor has been elected the 17th leader of Australia’s Liberal Party, defeating Sussan Ley in a party room vote and signalling a reset on key policies including immigration and tax reform. Taylor secured the leadership by 34 votes to 17, ending Ley’s nine-month tenure at the top of the party.

In his first remarks as leader, Taylor hinted at changes to the party’s stance on immigration and taxation, though he stopped short of outlining specific policy details, saying these would be developed in the coming weeks as the party regroups after a turbulent period.

Sussan Ley, the Liberals’ first female leader, conceded defeat graciously and announced she will retire from politics after a 25-year parliamentary career. The Member for Farrer said her resignation would give Taylor “clear air” to focus on rebuilding the party following weeks of turmoil that saw the Coalition split before reuniting. She said she would spend the coming weeks thanking the people of Farrer for the honour of representing them.

Jane Hume was elected deputy leader after two rounds of voting, defeating Ted O’Brien by 30 votes to 20. The new leadership team fronted the media shortly after the ballot, seeking to project unity and stability.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson dismissed the Liberal leadership change as inadequate, branding it “too little, too late”. “Different jockey, same dead horse,” Hanson said, arguing that simply changing the leader would not address voters’ concerns. She said the looming by-election in Sussan Ley’s seat of Farrer would be a major test for Taylor’s revamped Liberals, pointing to unresolved regional issues such as water access in the Murray–Darling Basin and the pressures facing farming communities.

Although Ley won Farrer comfortably last year on a two-party-preferred margin of 56–44, analysts say the by-election will be closely watched as an early indicator of public sentiment toward Taylor’s leadership.

The Labor Party has already launched attack ads portraying Taylor as a “leftover” from the previous Liberal government, accusing him of backing higher taxes, larger deficits, opposition to working from home, public service job cuts, and a taxpayer-funded nuclear energy plan. One advertisement claims Taylor worked to undermine the Liberals’ first female leader from the outset.

The renewed focus on working-from-home policies — an issue that hurt the Liberals during the last election campaign — resurfaced at the new leadership’s first press conference. Deputy leader Jane Hume acknowledged the policy had been dropped for a reason, signalling the party is unlikely to revisit it.