Angus Taylor, the Opposition Leader, is preparing to introduce his revamped front bench, indicating a strategic shift to the right with an emphasis on key issues like immigration.
After successfully replacing Sussan Ley, the Liberal Party’s first female leader, Taylor has spent the initial days of his leadership outlining his main priorities amidst ongoing party conflicts.
Policy updates are anticipated to be revealed alongside new front bench appointments, with conservatives Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price expected to make a comeback following their previous exclusion due to migration policy disagreements.
“They’re outstanding members of our team,” Taylor remarked on Sunday, referring to Hastie and Price, whose earlier frontbench roles were cut short over migration controversies.
Although Taylor has yet to provide full details of his strategy, he has committed to enforcing a more stringent immigration policy, consistently advocating for a reduction in the country’s migrant intake and enhanced screening processes.
“Labor’s migration numbers have been astonishingly high—far beyond what our nation can handle,” he asserted.
“Standards have been too low, numbers have been too high and we haven’t explicitly shut the door on people who reject our way of life.”
The Hume MP said he would unveil a full policy “in the coming days”.
Taylor has insisted the Coalition is not trying to become “One Nation lite” as it bleeds voter support to the anti-immigration party.
The first poll since Taylor became Liberal leader, published by Nine newspapers on Monday, showed Labor with 32 per cent of the primary vote and One Nation and the Coalition tied on 23 per cent.
The Resolve poll of 1,800 people conducted between 8 February and 14 February found a Taylor-led Coalition three percentage points ahead of an Opposition led by Ley.
One Nation recorded primary support of 27 per cent in the latest Newspoll, conducted before Taylor toppled Ley as leader, with the Coalition on 18 per cent.
Former senior immigration official Abul Rizvi said Taylor’s pointed tough-on-immigration stance could be directly influenced by One Nation’s rise.
“He reads the polls as closely as anybody,” Rizvi said.
However, he noted strong character requirements already existed for migrants looking to enter Australia and they had only been tightened by anti-hate crime laws introduced after the Bondi terror attack.
Taylor and deputy Jane Hume have also repeatedly vowed to offer lower taxes, a renewed focus on housing affordability and the end of an “ideological approach” to energy policies.
Hume said Australia needed to be “open-minded” on nuclear energy if the country was to reduce emissions and make power cheaper.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
