Qld federal MP for Groom Garth Hamilton supports idea of Angus Taylor as Liberal leader ahead of Tuesday partyroom showdown

A regional Qld MP has come out in support of Angus Taylor as the new leader of the Liberal Party, ahead of Tuesday’s showdown in Canberra.

Toowoomba’s re-elected federal member Garth Hamilton has revealed he will likely back Angus Taylor to become the new leader of the Liberal Party, as he savaged elements of the Coalition’s disastrous 2025 election campaign.

Mr Hamilton, whose electorate of Groom is likely to become marginal following a well-funded but failed challenge by independent Suzie Holt, will be in Canberra on Tuesday to vote with about 35 colleagues to determine the party’s leadership for potentially the next three years.

It comes less than two weeks after the Liberals were humiliated in the May 3 election, which saw Anthony Albanese win a second term and the Labor Party secure a record 93 seats and counting in the lower house.

The 46-year-old former mining engineer is one of the first MPs to come out in support of Mr Taylor, with both men believed to be part of the party’s right faction.

Groom MP Garth Hamilton at his . Picture: Kevin Farmer

Mr Taylor faces opposition from moderate Sussan Ley and possibly returning MP Tim Wilson.

Mr Hamilton said he wanted a leader that would not only form the envoy of a credible opposition to the Albanese government but also facilitate an extensive re-examination of the party’s policy platform heading to 2028.

“The focus needs to be to the needs of the Australian people, and particularly for me, the people of Groom, to ensure that I’m able to represent them to the best of my capabilities, and I need a party that’s capable of doing that,” he said.

Angus Taylor. Picture - Daily Telegraph / Dylan Coker

“For me, it’s not about who, it’s about their plans and their ability to lead that generational change.

“What I’m looking for is whoever can show me the ability to not just generate good policy and will lead the generation of good policy, but articulate it and stand by it for a prolonged period.”

Reflecting on the national campaign, which saw the Coalition lose about 18 seats and opposition leader Peter Dutton booted from his own seat, Mr Hamilton said the party was guilty of a “series of mistakes” around policy that ceded authority to Mr Albanese.

“We need leadership that’s first extremely competent at that, that can articulate the problems facing the nation – that’s the first part, and the second part is that they can be someone who can bring people through, and that’s just the reality of where we are as a party at the moment,” he said.

“It’s a fair criticism that it didn’t happen in our previous term of government, and I think that that speaks to our readiness to govern.

“That question (by Albanese of readiness to govern) played a very heavy part in people’s decision making, and I think it’s the perception that grew with, if I’m blunt, the series of mistakes that came out of that national campaign.

“We demonstrated on time on multiple occasions that we hadn’t done the work.

“I would say somewhere in March there was a clear difference between what we were feeling on the ground and what was coming from HQ.”

LNP candidate and Groom incumbent Garth Hamilton outside pre-poll voting at The Annexe, Friday, May 2, 2025. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Mr Hamilton agreed with treasurer Jim Chalmers that the next term should focus on productivity, arguing for changes to industrial relations laws and broadening business incentives like instant asset write-offs.

“We saw the biggest fall in productivity in Australia’s history over the last three years, so absolutely productivity needs to be turned back around,” he said.

“Productivity is directly linked to real wages and real wages went backwards because productivity went backwards.”

When asked about the one per cent swing against him in the seat of Groom, Mr Hamilton said he was happy considering the national headwinds he faced.

“We’ve held up far better than others in what has been a very difficult campaign for the Liberal Party,” he said.

“It’s the first time since the late 90s that we’ve had a three pointed contest (in Groom), and that’s it – this is mathematics.

“The other part is we’ve never seen this much money spent on a campaign in Groom ever – extraordinary amounts.

“I congratulate (Ms Holt) on a very strong campaign — like I said, extraordinary amounts of money were spent in a really well-funded campaign.”

Originally published as Qld federal MP for Groom Garth Hamilton supports idea of Angus Taylor as Liberal leader ahead of Tuesday partyroom showdown