Senior Liberals reject ‘brain fart’ party rebrand call
Liberal politicians are rejecting a push for the party to “rebrand” following a call from the frontbench in the face of surging support for One Nation.
Senior Liberals have rushed to dismiss a call from within their ranks to rebrand, as the frontbencher behind the push urged the party to listen to the people amid a surge in support for One Nation.
Opposition NDIS spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh said there was a perception among some voters that the Liberals remained stuck in the past, and that it would be a good time for the party to revisit its values.
The Liberal MP from western Sydney acknowledged she had been blunt with her calls for change, but said she wanted to see her party’s policies resonate with voters.
“We are pretty much the heartland of Australia,” she told Nine’s Today program on Tuesday.
“When the heartland of Australia tells you that you need to get more cut through to get more voters on your side, then you need to listen to the people.”
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott described the comments as a “brain fart”, while current frontbencher Michaelia Cash said there was a while to go until the next federal election and an overhaul was not needed.
“Australians don’t want us to rebrand, they want us to change the country that is actually going backwards under Larissa Waters, the Australian Greens, and Anthony Albanese,” she told Nine’s Today.
But a more recent poll shows that following the One Nation leader’s first ever National Press Club address earlier in June, her personal approval ratings have dipped.
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Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has failed to reverse dire polling after ousting Sussan Ley in February, as the coalition’s primary vote dropped to a record low of 17 per cent in the latest Newspoll.
Labor sits at 33 per cent, while One Nation follows at 29 per cent.
Nationals Leader Matt Canavan has downplayed the chances of a deal with Senator Hanson, saying the coalition was best placed putting its own foot forward.
“We’re going to keep fighting, maintain the rage, and if you want that change, you’ve got to put the Labor Party last,” he told Sky News.
-with AAP
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