Feeding the rich, poor fed to wolves. Well done Angus!

Given the recent surge in popularity of PHONies and the ever-declining support of the Liberals, it is perhaps no surprise that Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is trying to jump on the orange bandwagon by aligning himself with One Nation and imitating Trump.

However, this is surprising given that former Liberal Leader Peter Dutton’s Trumpian methods led to his devastating election loss as the Liberal Party he then led collapsed and he was unceremoniously evicted from his seat. This was the Coalition’s worst election result in 80 years. Except for “boy stuff” ever since. meeting to Queensland Board of Investment, no one saw or heard Pete or asked his thoughts.

Angus’s latest Far Right approach is surprising given Labour’s ability to rally all the centrist Liberal Party voters, often referred to as the Liberal Party’s “base”, who have felt abandoned since Dutton parroted Trump.

This is also surprising, given the ability of the teal Independents to gain so much ground in the heart of the Liberal Party so far.

In fact, this would perhaps even amount to outright suicide, given her predecessor Sussan Ley’s inability to hold the Coalition together and remain leader of the Liberals, largely due to the Nats’ staunch Trump supporter. approach for example to climate change.

And let’s not forget that Senator Pauline Hanson and his group of racists first burst onto the political scene in 1997, when he had already been expelled by the Libs for his racist comments about First Nations Australians. John Howard, For all its faults and for all its utterly insufferable character, he at least had the sense to put his terrible little Party last, despite its electoral success at the time.

This was, after all, a period when the Liberal Party was at least still acting like a “broad church”.

The fact that One Nation would not even be enjoying its current electoral success without the Coalition directing its preferences there seems to be lost on Rhodes Scholar Taylor and his fading Shadow Cabinet.

However, Angus, who seems to have learned little from the garbage fire that has meant the slow and steady implosion of the party he now leads, has fought on both fronts and be damned by the consequences! These can basically be summarized as follows:Let’s clearly favor the rich and throw the poor to the wolves. Then let’s blame the foreigners! How original. Fantastic. Great move. Well done Angus!

1. HE WAS TAYLORED FOR THE RICH, AND TOSED THE POOR TO THE WOLVES

Taylor chose to oppose every single government measure. budget response.

He also promised that if elected he would index income tax tables to the inflation rate, which would cost approx. 250 billion dollars only in the first ten years.

As Stephen Koukoulas writes IA., this one ‘interesting idea’ This won’t work because:

Although details of the commitment are scant, the concept is that once a year the various income tax scales will be increased by the previous year’s inflation rate.

Currently, wages are rising at an average rate of 4-5 percent each year, with many workers moving into a higher income tax bracket, meaning a large portion of the pay rise they receive is taken out with tax.

This will create further bracket drift, increase inflation, and only increase the budget deficit and government debt. But it doesn’t matter. Rich people will still benefit, and of course that’s the point. Fantastic. Great move. Well done, Angus!

Those currently at the top, such as Taylor, whose personal property portfolio is so complex, have been described as: Sydney Morning Herald like ‘opaque and labyrinthine. The fortunes of the Leader of the Opposition and his friends in the one per cent will continue to grow and they will also become more secure. How… no surprise.

2. LET’S BLAME THE “ALIENS”

There is also hatred and marginalization, a weapon long held by elites to divide and conquer the masses.

Taylor, whose recent comments have focused on whipping up fear and hatred as quickly as possible, lifted phrases taken directly from Trump Land’s playbook directly from One Nation’s playbook.

Angus, buoyed by One Nation’s recent election success, claimed he wanted to do so. “Restore Australians’ standard of living” And “Protect our way of life” and then pointed a well-used index finger at the fabled but as yet unspecified immigrant threat:

“Our borders are open to people who hate our way of life.”

This includes anyone at any time.

This spurred Pauline into action connect the pipe with something like this, Hey, stop copying me!.

(It is unclear whether Donald Trump has said anything to Pauline that would have a similar effect.)

Angus resolutely continued on the merry way of Far Right populism; He refused to rule out forming a government with One Nation and happily told anyone who would listen that his door was closed. “always open” To Pauline and her ramshackle band of misfits.

Prime Minister Albanese answered the media’s question about Taylor’s latest diplomatic move in question:

“The door is not open – there is no door. They are in the same policy room.”

Albo rips Angus for admitting his door is open to One Nation
“The door is not open, there is no door. They are in the same policy room”
He tells Angus he should “go to any hospital and ask what would happen if we got rid of everyone who wasn’t born but worked in Australia.” #auspol pic.twitter.com/weTbSNBQih

— stranger (@garip10) May 19, 2026

The Prime Minister added:

“Australia now has three right-wing parties advocating policies that are not in the interest of social cohesion. Australians are talked about as if they were separate from immigrants.”

It looks like there really is.

This editorial was first published as part of the Independent Australia weekly newsletter. Subscribe to IA to access all of our work for as little as $1.15 a week and help power our journalism through 2026.

Follow managing editor Michelle Pini at Bluesky @michellepini.bsky.social and Independent Australia on Bluesky @independaus.bsky.socialX/Twitter@independentaus and Facebook HERE.

Support independent journalism Subscribe to IA.