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ABC News
5 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Federal politics: Coalition formally agrees to oppose Labor's super tax changes 'every step of the way' — as it happened
The Coalition has formally agreed to oppose Labor's changes to superannuation taxation, with the deputy Liberal leader vowing to oppose the changes without compromise. Take a look back at the day's coverage below.
Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
The Labour Left can now smell blood
When the history of Keir Starmer's premiership comes to be written, the week beginning May 19, 2025 could be as significant as the week beginning November 19, 1990 was for Mrs Thatcher. Just as, 35 years ago, it had all started to unravel for the Conservatives' most successful Prime Minister much earlier, so, in 2025, the wheels started to fall off this Labour Government some time ago. But it is this week that we first caught a glimpse of exactly how Starmer's time in Downing Street could end – at the hands of his own parliamentary party and his own Deputy Leader. When Kemi Badenoch challenged the Prime Minister over the despatch box of the Commons yesterday over Angela Rayner's proposals she had made to the Chancellor for tax increases, a number of interesting elements of this drama came together. The first was an acceptance that Rayner has indeed been going somewhat beyond her ministerial remit by proposing new taxes – mainly on the wealthy and those who are savers – an activity that would have been violently disowned had it occurred before last year's general election. That Starmer's Deputy feels emboldened to write such a memo today, and to be entirely relaxed about its subsequent 'accidental' leaking to the media suggests she believes she has the support of enough back bench colleagues to make her position in the cabinet impregnable. Rayner's advocacy of a shift from Rachel Reeves's strategy of cuts presents some clear blue water between her position and that of both Reeves and the Prime Minister, not something that you might have expected in a Government that is less than a year old. Then there was Starmer's announcement that he will, after months of insisting that his (and Reeves's) policies were the only safe route to economic recovery, review his decision to restrict the winter fuel payments to only the poorest pensioners. This was the first real sign of blood in the water. Labour MPs are known to be frustrated at the original decision, announced by Reeves just weeks after the party returned to office last year, which sparked a drastic slide in popularity of the Government from an already modest 'high' of barely a third of the vote on polling day. It became a focus of Starmer's lack of political nous that he had approved a cut that was massively unpopular across all age groups and demographics, while raising such small sums for the Treasury that it was hardly worth the political risk. And now, having suffered all that unpopularity and criticism, he is rowing back from the policy after all – not in full, of course, so much of the original criticism will stand while even less money is raised for the hard-pressed Treasury. Both of these events – Starmer's continuing struggles over the winter fuel allowance and Rayner's bold challenge to tax the rich rather than cut budgets – are being watched closely by unhappy back benchers, even as opinion polls deliver further bad news about their own electoral prospects. A More In Common poll yesterday gave Reform an eight-point lead over Labour, which was on 22 per cent. No governing party in polling history has ever recovered from such lows and gone on to win the subsequent general election – at least, not without a change in leadership. Labour's own support had fallen by three points since the previous poll, which some back benchers are putting down to Starmer's unexpectedly belligerent 'island of strangers' speech on immigration last week. With Starmer caving in to demands for a reversal of policy on the hated winter fuel allowance, there will be MPs who detect an opportunity to pry from him some more concessions, perhaps on the Government's plans to slash social security benefits, another area causing back benchers to glance nervously at the results in their own constituencies last July. In the aftermath of that general election victory, it would have been ludicrous to suggest that a leader who had just led his party to a 170-seat Commons majority might not survive as Prime Minister until the end of the Parliament. But things change quickly in this new political era. If, as persistent rumours suggest, Reeves is to be removed from the Treasury, that would be a blow to Starmer's own authority, given how closely the two have worked together for the last four years. How severe a blow would depend on how successful Reeves' successor was in reversing the Government's reputation for competence. But having lost both his Chancellor and his defining economic policy, could he remain in Number 10 for much longer? Fickle though the public might be when it comes to our political leaders, they rarely, if ever, change their minds once they have decided that this or that politician no longer meets with their approval. Labour is not about to take a dramatic turn to the Left: the centre of gravity in the parliamentary party remains decidedly moderate, but that doesn't mean Labour MPs will reject any opportunity to leverage more concessions from an already weakened prime minister. Starmer's troubles are piling up on too many fronts. That history of his administration might yet be published as a pamphlet rather than a book.
ABC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Federal politics live: David Littleproud won't say if he asked to be deputy opposition leader in Coalition negotiations
David Littleproud won't say if he asked to be made deputy opposition leader during the ill-fated negotiations for a new Coalition agreement. He also says the issue of cabinet solidarity was not a sticking point that led to the break up. Follow all the updates in our live blog.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Andrew Bolt's warning to Liberals hailing Jacinta Price as the 'new saviour'
Sky News commentator Andrew Bolt has explained why he thinks Jacinta Nampijinpa Price would not have been a wise choice to be the Liberal Party's next Deputy Leader. Senator Price was expected to become the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party if Angus Taylor had been elected leader, following Peter Dutton 's devastating election defeat. But on Tuesday morning, Sussan Ley was confirmed as the new Liberal Party leader, ruling out Price's chances as deputy leader. Bolt hinted that the Liberal Party may have avoided a bullet by not supporting the Taylor-Price ticket. 'I love Jacinta. I've probably defended her for more years than anyone and I've promoted her for years,' Bolt said. 'She is fearless, she is frank, and she was absolutely critical in defeating Albanese's racist plan for The Voice. 'She's being hailed by the Liberals as the new saviour. I can't help but think this is a mistake.' While being an admirer of Ms Price, Bolt questioned her experience in politics and if she was the right fit for leadership. 'Her instincts are fantastic, she's got a great future, but I think she's actually just been in parliament for just three years. What has she done in this time?' he said. 'Peter Dutton promoted her to be in charge of government efficiency and she came up with no efficiencies of substance.' Bolt went further to suggest she even hurt Mr Dutton's Prime Minister aspirations. 'She was missing for most of the election campaign and when she did speak, her loose language just got the Liberals into deeper strife,' he said 'Now how would Nampijinpa Price go talking economic policies, workplace reform and all those other things a Deputy Leader must address. 'Colleagues would come to her, as Deputy Leader, with problems they need fixing in the party. How would she be more capable in that role than, say, James Paterson?' After her failed bid for the deputy Liberal leadership role, Ms Price said she would focus on energy policy. The Senator said the issue was the first battleground for the Liberals and Nationals who are sticking by nuclear, while the Liberal Party was open to change.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Liberals promise to listen
Sabra Lane: The new Liberal Party Deputy Leader joined me earlier. Ted O'Brien congratulations on winning arguably the second hardest job in Australian politics. What's the most important part of your role now? Ted O'Brien: Well, I think, Sabra, now is when the Liberal Party comes together and we rebuild. And I think it's recognising that in the Liberal Party room here in Canberra, every single member has something to offer. Everyone has a role to play. And we are deeply united around a common set of values. And it's through those values, and there I'm talking about a belief in freedom, equality, a fair go for all, a belief that with rights come commensurate responsibilities, with effort comes reward. These are the beliefs of everyone in the Liberal Party. Everyone has a role to play. And now we get on with the job at hand. Sabra Lane: There's now a review into the party's biggest defeat. Why do you think it happened? Ted O'Brien: Well, as Sussan Ley mentioned yesterday very clearly, our main job now is to listen and to learn. It's critically important that we approach the next period of time with humility. Clearly people were disappointed with what we had to offer at this election. And we need to take the time to listen and to get it right. That's our approach. We need to make sure that we accept the result and we reflect with humility on how we can do things better. We want to go forward respecting modern Australia, reflecting modern Australia and representing modern Australia. Sabra Lane: You must have some ideas though as to why that happened? Ted O'Brien: Well, there's no doubt that when the Australian people looked at the Albanese government, we saw no evidence of them being excited. Indeed, Australians are becoming poorer by the day. And when they looked at the coalition, they unfortunately didn't see, Sabra, the policy suite that they wanted to see. Sabra Lane: You don't have any thoughts right now yourself? Ted O'Brien: I think what we need to avoid doing, Sabra, is jumping to conclusions. Because as Sussan made it very clear yesterday, we need to meet Australians where they are, which means we need to better understand where Australians are today. What are the challenges they are facing? And instead of, as a political party, jumping to the conclusions that we might think as politicians, now is the time for us to take a step back, to truly engage with the Australian public and to listen to what they tell us about the challenges they are feeling at the moment. That's our objective. Sabra Lane: You were responsible for selling the nuclear power policy to voters. Did that have a role in the coalition's defeat? Ted O'Brien: Ultimately, we're a team and we all take responsibility for the last election. And again, it is with that humility that we engage with the Australian people from here on. We listen, we learn, we regroup and we get on with it. Sabra Lane: So specifically, did the policy on nuclear power also play a role, given that Peter Dutton said last year he was happy for this to be a referendum on the policy? Ted O'Brien: Well, there's no doubt that every policy plays a role. Now, my colleagues have some different views on nuclear, different views on every policy that was taken to the election. And we need to ensure that we take the time to talk about that, to ventilate it. But we also need to be engaging with the Australian people. I think that the problems that we sought to address in our energy policy are still there today. You know, the election was two weeks ago, but Australians are still paying among the highest prices in the world for electricity. And the Albanese government does not know its own cost for its electricity plan moving forward. And so the problems are still there. I think what we now need to do, Sabra, with humility, is to listen to the Australian people, to regroup as a united team, and to put every single policy we have on the table for review. Now, that doesn't mean, you know, policies are being all thrown out. We had a meeting yesterday to choose the leadership team. We've now chosen that team, and I'm very honoured to be serving with Susan as our leader. And now we'll do the review that's necessary. Sabra Lane: Is this now an existential question for the Liberals? If you don't sort this problem out in this term, it could be the end. Ted O'Brien: No, I don't think so. I know people have spoken about, you know, an existential crisis. I don't believe so. Our real goal as the Liberal Party has to be to save Australians from a very bad Labor government. Sabra Lane: If that was the case, Labor wouldn't be sitting on a 93-seat win. Ted O'Brien: That is our primary goal, to save Australia from a bad Labor government, which is making Australians poorer by the day. Sabra Lane: Ted O'Brien, thanks for talking to AM. Ted O'Brien: Thanks very much, Sabra. Sabra Lane: And that's Ted O'Brien, the new Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.
