Angus Taylor puts official pitch to lead Liberal Party

Angus Taylor has put forward his official bid to lead the Liberal Party after a disastrous election result saw Peter Dutton ousted from parliament completely.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor has officially made his pitch to the Liberal Party to become its next leader, declaring he would bring in more women and “modernise our organisation from the ground up”.

In a statement released on Friday, Mr Taylor said the party was at a crossroads and needed to “regroup, rebuild and get back in the fight”.

To do this, he said, the Liberals must return to their core values around personal responsibility, national security, reward for effort and a vibrant private sector.

However, there would also need to be significant reform in how the party operates.

“Policy isn’t enough. We also need to rebuild the Party itself,” he said.

“We must bring in new talent that reflects modern Australia – especially more women.

“We must operate like a campaign every day – with strong candidates, clearer messages, smarter strategies, and greater fundraising.

“We need to modernise our organisation from the ground up and back our volunteers and members who give so much to our cause.”

Angus Taylor has made his official pitch to lead the Liberal Party. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling

He said the road would not be easy, but that with his experience in the private sector, in government and in opposition, the lofty goal could be achieved.

“This moment demands experience. It also demands energy, humility, and a clear plan for the future,” he said.

“We must offer Australians something more than opposition.

“And that means being ready – not just to hold Labor to account, but to show that we’re fit to govern again.

“We live in the best country in the world but for too many Australians right now, it doesn’t feel that way. They’re doing it tough. They’re uncertain. They want a government that understands them.

“We must become that alternative.”

It is expected he will ask Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to stand as his deputy, after her bombshell announcement on Thursday that she was defecting from the National party room to the Liberals.

Nationals senator warns Liberals of ‘fallout’

Earlier, Bridget McKenzie has blasted the Liberal Party for “recruiting” Senator Price during the federal election campaign, saying it was “not the behaviour of partners”.

Senator Price’s shock defection to the Liberals has dealt a fresh blow to the relationship between the Coalition parties that was already under strain following Labor’s landslide win last week.

Senator McKenzie on Friday warned that the Liberals would need to take the “fallout” that would come with accepting Senator Price.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has blasted the Liberal Party for ‘recruiting’ Jacinta Nampijinpa Price during the election campaign. Picture: NewsWire / Thomas Lisson

“What I’m very concerned about is that it now seems that the Liberal Party was actively recruiting Senator Nampijinpa Price five days out from an election,” she told Sky News.

“That is not the behaviour of partners, of trusted partners.

“It’s very, very concerning, and I think the Liberal Party and the CLP have to make decisions around the impact of Jacinta’s decision to resign from the National Party.

“The Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory and the federal Liberal Party are going to have to make decisions about whether they accept her decision, what the fallout will be and they are obviously separate and independent organisations.”

Senator Price, the opposition spokeswoman for Indigenous affairs, is a member of the Country Liberal Party – a Northern Territory affiliate of the Coalition.

Originally, a division of the now-National Party, CLP members have sat in the Nationals party room since the 1980s and had their campaigns funded by the federal Coalition partner.

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has defected to the Liberal Party. Picture Thomas Lisson / NewsWire

Senator Price’s party room switch came after the Liberal vote collapsed at the federal election, with leader Peter Dutton and other senior MPs losing their seats.

In contrast, the Nationals vote held in the lower house.

Deputy leader Perin Davey is set to lose her Senate seat, which Senator McKenzie and other Nationals put down to a Liberal joint ticket in NSW.

“It was the Liberal Party’s vote in NSW that saw the loss of our deputy leader, Perin Davey,” Senator McKenzie said.

“We didn’t lose a single seat, and we’ve taken a lot of bark off the Labor Party here in Bendigo, where the vote counting is continuing.

“We’ve taken collective responsibility for this loss. I’ve been on media all week as a part of the leadership team with the Coalition, saying it’s not one man, it’s not one policy, it’s not one reason why we got such a significant swing away from the Coalition.

“But in the face of this behaviour, it just beggars belief.”

Her comments echoed similar remarks made by Queensland colleague Matt Canavan, who compared Senator Price to Greens-turned-independent Lidia Thorpe.

I’m delighted by the news that Jacinta Nampijinpa Price will join the Liberal Party. Jacinta is a tireless advocate for Liberal values and a good friend. Jacinta will be another strong voice at a time the Liberal Party must rebuild.

— Angus Taylor MP (@AngusTaylorMP) May 8, 2025

‘Fresh approach’

Announcing her defection, Senator Price hinted that she could put her hat in the ring for the deputy Liberal leadership and back Mr Taylor for the top spot.

Mr Taylor said he was “delighted” that Senator Price would be joining his ranks.

“Jacinta is a tireless advocate for Liberal values and a good friend,” he wrote on social media.

“Jacinta will be another strong voice at a time the Liberal Party must rebuild.”

But Mr Taylor has been weathering internal criticism of his performance as shadow treasurer, with Liberal MPs casting serious doubt on his ability to garner enough support.

Meanwhile, Sussan Ley also confirmed her leadership bid in her first interview since the election.

The deputy Liberal leader, who comfortably held onto her seat, said the Coalition “got it wrong” at the election and needed a “fresh approach”.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley has confirmed she is vying to replace Peter Dutton as opposition leader. Picture: Richard Dobson / NewsWire

“I want to harness all of the talent in my team, take it forward under my leadership and meet the Australian people where they are because clearly we didn’t do that at the last election,” she told Seven’s Sunrise.

“But we do need to reflect a modern Liberal Party, meeting modern Australians in every single walk of life across the country.”

Whoever comes out on top would have an enormous task ahead of them, with not just division of direction within the Liberal Party but also division over key policies in the broader Coalition.

The election aftermath has revealed the Nationals were not involved in all policies announced as part of the Coalition’s platform.

Ms Ley brushed off a suggestion that she was facing a glass cliff – a term used to describe when a woman is given a senior role where there is a high risk of failure.

Ms Ley says she is ‘convinced’ she is ‘the right person’ to lead the Liberal Party. Picture: Richard Dobson / NewsWire

“I’m putting my hand up,” she said.

“I’m determined and convinced that I am the right person to lead the party forward at this time and I think my appointment would send a strong signal to the women of Australia, but it’s about much more than that.

“It is about the policy offering. It is about what modern Australia expects of us as Liberals. It is about working collegiately across our party and it is about a strong work ethic, something that I’m known for in our party and in our country.

“I’m not going to take a backward step. We can be successful. We can win the next election.”

Originally published as Angus Taylor puts official pitch to lead Liberal Party