Miranda Devine: Liberal party needs to let Angus Taylor shine

It’s a mystery that a politician as talented as Angus Taylor has been left to languish for so long by two successive Liberal Prime Ministers, writes Miranda Devine.

Constrained as he is by having his light kept under a bushel, Taylor still manages to make thoughtful contributions. (Pic: Jonathan Ng)

It’s a mystery that a politician as talented and able as Angus Taylor has been left to languish on the backbench or in a sub-par job for so long by two successive Liberal Prime Ministers. Like Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott, Taylor, 50, is a Rhodes scholar.

The father of four, who arrived in parliament in 2013, is a farmer’s son from Nimmitabel, who travelled the world as a management consultant and started a business of his own.

His role model is his grandfather, William Hudson, who was commissioner and chief engineer of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Hudson “abhorred snobbery and judged people on character and conduct, not rank. He worked prodigiously and was extra­ordinarily humble,” said Taylor in his maiden speech.

Constrained as he is by having his light kept under a bushel, Taylor still manages to make thoughtful contributions, such as he did this week, speaking about the WA election rout for the Liberals.

Angus Taylor speaks at the Knowledge Nation Summit in Sydney. (Pic: Renee Nowytarger/The Australian)

Instead of moaning about the poor result he offered constructive advice.

“The thing that comes out loud and clear is that Labor is a formidable campaign machine now,” he told Sky Business. “We have to take note of just how formidable that campaigning machine is.

“It is critical that Government leads on policy but it’s also critical that business plays a leadership role as well.

“It is crucial that those pro-business sentiments, those pro-business views, and this is a very business-like, pro business Government in my view, probably the most pro-business Government we’ve had for a long time, that sentiment has to be reflected right down in these big organisations.

“Some business leaders of course have played a fantastic role in getting out and advocating for what we need to do, but it is important that their organisations come with them. It is about getting the message out and these big organisations, senior executives, have a role to play in that, as does Government.”

In other words, business has to get on board and match the power of the unions to help the Coalition retain office.