Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has pledged a significant reduction in immigration, described as potentially one of the largest in the nation’s history. This “citizens only” initiative appears to be a strategic move to counteract the rising popularity of One Nation on the Coalition’s right flank.
In his budget response, the Liberal leader unveiled plans to link immigration levels directly to housing construction rates. Additionally, he proposed tax reforms designed to provide substantial savings to individuals with lower incomes.
This strong stance on immigration led to accusations from Pauline Hanson of policy appropriation and drew criticism from Labour, who suggested that Taylor was attempting to outdo One Nation’s leader by appealing to the right-wing base.
One Nation has experienced unprecedented growth in support, capitalizing on this momentum to secure seven new seats in the South Australian election, including a notable victory in Farrer.
The Coalition has been struggling to retain its voter base following their significant defeat in last year’s federal election, compounded by internal leadership disputes throughout the year.
Meanwhile, Joyce expressed that while One Nation is open to collaborating with the Liberals and Nationals, this cooperation would not extend to forming a formal coalition.
“What we would do is we would offer supply and confidence to people who would take on board our policy structure,” he told the ABC.
“We do not want the prizes. We do not want the ministries. So you can keep all the prizes, but there’ll be certain policy outcomes.
“For instance, scrapping the climate change department and or climate change policy and reallocating those resources to where they better suit Australia.”
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.
