Liberals fight member exodus as One Nation surges
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has vowed to democratize the Liberal Party, saying he understands the frustration of members leaving the One Nation coalition.
The party’s recently appointed chairman and former Liberal prime minister, Tony Abbott, personally called members of its NSW branches to try to stop them from leaving, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
Pauline Hanson’s party is currently the most popular party in Australia, leading both Labor and the coalition in primary votes, according to various opinion polls.
Asked about Mr Abbott’s offer to address members’ concerns, Mr Taylor said he understood their frustration.
“They want a better Liberal Party and we’ve seen, particularly in NSW, that some members of the party are frustrated with the lack of democracy in the party,” he told Sky News on Sunday.
“I have been fighting for many years to change this and I will continue and I want these people to stay.
“Tony, as president, does a great job of engaging membership and energizing members, keeping those who are frustrated.”
Mr Taylor, who successfully ousted Sussan Ley as Liberal leader in February, said the party had a “credible plan” and would focus on bringing in new people.
The coalition has lost members to One Nation, including former South Australian Liberal senator Hollie Hughes and one-time National Party leader Barnaby Joyce.
One Nation also reported that its membership base was growing, claiming its “banish the liar” fundraiser aimed at removing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese brought in more than $4.75 million in donations from nearly 76,000 people.
The fundraising campaign was in response to Labor’s appeal for members to donate $27 towards a social media campaign targeting One Nation.
Labor is trying to position the right-wing party as a complaining party rather than a legitimate alternative government offering solutions.
The Liberal Party has not ruled out the possibility of One Nation being preferred over Labor in the next federal election.
