ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
With the federal election fast approaching, senior Liberals are privately debating whether they still have time to swap leaders before facing voters.
Concerns over Peter Dutton’s lacklustre performance have been growing within both his shadow cabinet and the party’s right-wing faction, with multiple sources leaking against him in recent weeks. His failure to articulate a clear policy agenda beyond backing Labor’s Medicare commitments, despite widespread internal agreement that a Coalition government would make significant cuts, has left many questioning his ability to take the fight to Anthony Albanese. Then there’s his dealings with billionaires, abandoning his own constituents in the face of a natural disaster and his bizarre, nonsuspect trading during the GFC.
Strategists warn that many of the voters most likely to be affected by future spending reductions, elderly, financially insecure baby boomers are among the Coalition’s strongest supporters. While no one is publicly admitting it, some within the party believe a different leader might sell these necessary “fiscal realities” more effectively.
The name most commonly raised is Angus Taylor, the shadow treasurer, who despite lingering controversy over offshore tax havens, Panama Papers links, and morally questionable water trading deals, is seen as a viable alternative. A Rhodes Scholar and former management consultant, Taylor is widely regarded as a sharp political operator with the right connections. Well-built, well-presented, and a product of the elite King’s School, he carries the sort of old-money credentials that the party’s donor base respects. Good sheep farmer who knows cattle are for lazy people with big guts and even bigger hats. He is Malcolm Fraser incarnate. Behind closed doors, he is also known for his charm and sharp wit, a trait that has so far eluded Dutton.
Another dark horse is Andrew Hastie, a man whose military record was reinforced by the Ben Roberts-Smith trial as one of integrity, respect and professionalism. A battlefield leader who led by example, Hastie is viewed as an ideal candidate for a defence portfolio and a strong voice within the party’s conservative wing. With Angus, Andrew and a token female leading the party, analysts believe that force to be unstoppable.
While no official challenge has been made, discussions are underway. The main question now is whether a last-minute switch would salvage the party’s election prospects. Or simply confirm that they were doomed from the start.
More to come.
