Liberals going digital to bring new life to party brand
Its new leader admits the Liberal Party has lagged behind in reaching young voters, but his focus will be on changing campaign strategies rather than policies.
In his first major speech to party faithful on Saturday, Angus Taylor outlined a digital-first campaign strategy to reach voters well before the next election.
Mr Taylor told the NSW Liberal State Council that targeted messaging to disillusioned voters showing the Liberals were everyone’s party would be a focus of his leadership.
“We are behind in collecting and using data, and we are behind in reaching Australians where they are – on their phones, in their feeds and in online spaces where opinions are formed long before elections take place,” Mr Taylor said.
Liberals have long understood that they need to appeal to young voters to stay relevant in the political landscape.
The latest Redbridge poll on Sunday showed support for the party among Gen Z and Millennial voters at less than 15 per cent.
Mr Taylor acknowledged the party had made mistakes in the run-up to the 2025 election.
Chief among these was a failure to publicize policies with enough time for voters to consider them, something he has vowed to correct.
Persuading the younger demographic to see the Liberals as a viable electoral option will be Mr Taylor’s defining challenge as leader.
“The Liberal Party must attract, retain and empower committed Australians from all walks of life,” he said.
“We must get back to being the grassroots party that is a natural home for ordinary Australians.”
While his campaign strategy was forward-looking, many of the policies Mr. Taylor pointed out reflected culture war issues already viewed as unpalatable by large swathes of voters.
He called for “the elimination of brainwashing in the classroom” and said part of his mission was to highlight the importance of “standing before the Australian flag”.
The elimination of the “nanny state” was also brought up as a result of a future coalition government.
In the face of a threat from One Nation lurking on the right of the party, Mr Taylor wanted to treat immigration as a key concern.
“The numbers are too high, the standards are too low,” he said.
While Taylor said that the repatriation of women and children in Syria “should never happen”, Islamist extremism was highlighted.
Mr Taylor has repeatedly paid tribute to NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, particularly her efforts to steer housing policy.
But Ms Sloane did not mention her federal counterpart during her speech, choosing instead to focus on the upcoming election battle in March 2027.
“It has been 100 years since the first government was overthrown in New South Wales,” he told the council.
“But… change is needed in NSW because the reality is that so many people in our state feel like they’re playing a game they can’t win.”
Both leaders will hope the enthusiastic reception they received from party supporters in Sydney is a much-needed good omen for their future.
