Liberal leaders try to repair party image after turmoil
Liberal leaders are trying to repair the damage done to the party’s brand after a series of bitter controversies and turmoil at the state and national level.
Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley continues to focus on energy prices after her Liberal colleagues decided to cancel commitments to a net-zero emissions reduction target by 2050.
The party’s energy plan includes fossil fuels in an important policy axis focused on reducing electricity bills.
He attributed rising energy prices to Victorian manufacturing businesses struggling.
“The Victorians are really suffering, they’re really suffering and a lot of it has to do with production,” he told Sydney radio station 2GB.
Ms Ley faces the difficult task of getting the Liberals to agree to abandon emissions-cutting policies in metropolitan seats where climate change is a major issue among voters.
The party was all but wiped out in inner-city voters across the country in May’s election.
However, lawmakers think that lower electricity bills, which will be reflected in other productions as manufacturers reduce overall costs, could benefit people struggling to make ends meet.
Liberals’ electoral chances are improving in Victoria; A poll suggests new state leader Jess Wilson is already ahead as the preferred premier.
According to the survey conducted on Saturday in Australia, almost half of the respondents believe that she will be a stronger leader, while the rate of those who support Prime Minister Jacinta Allan is 33 percent.
The coalition leads 51-49 in the two-party preferred vote.
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, who takes over the top job on Friday, faces a bigger challenge to turn around her party’s fortunes.
He will also have to deal with selling the Liberal brand amid federal dysfunction after the climate debate ripped apart the national party hall.
That includes fighting state citizens and federal counterparts over abandoning a net-zero emissions target after his party agreed to maintain its commitment.
Pollster Kos Samaras said the Liberals will continue to lose inner-city votes if they fail to have a strong climate policy, as only 10 per cent of Gen Z – “the generation most affected by climate” – support the party.
This compares with Labor’s primary vote of 51 per cent in the cohort.
The Liberals also needed to win over more multicultural voters; According to the poll, only 17 per cent of Australians backed the Liberals, while 46 per cent backed Labour.
In Sydney and Melbourne, the figures are even worse.
Ms Ley is expected to unveil an immigration plan in the coming weeks, after months of bitter rows between moderate and conservative MPs over energy policy that have undermined her leadership.
While the party has been pushing to reduce Australia’s immigration intake, negative rhetoric about immigrants has caused various communities to leave the party in droves.
Ms Sloane used her first day trip as NSW Liberal leader to tour Little India in Western Sydney’s Harris Park, opposite her affluent constituency of Vaucluse.
He also met with local businesses and community members as the Liberals work to embrace multicultural communities and win back seats in several city suburbs.
Australia’s Associated Press is the beating heart of Australian news. AAP is Australia’s only independent national news channel and has been providing accurate, reliable and fast-paced news content to the media industry, government and corporate sector for 85 years. We inform Australia.
