Pauline Hanson names Tony Abbott as her pick as the next Liberal leader after slamming Angus Taylor as ‘smarmy’
Pauline Hanson has named former prime minister Tony Abbott as her preferred candidate to lead the Liberal Party, while criticising current leader Angus Taylor and leadership hopeful Tim Wilson. Her comments came as the Liberals and One Nation competed for conservative voters at a Brisbane conference, and she offered to set aside personal differences to work with the Coalition to remove Labor from government.
Hanson said neither One Nation nor the Coalition would find it easy to govern alone. The article says the Coalition has trailed One Nation in polls since the start of the year, with some surveys placing One Nation ahead of Labor on primary support. Taylor welcomed the possibility of former treasurer Josh Frydenberg returning to politics, but rejected his proposal to raise the GST while cutting income taxes, and described the Coalition as firmly right-wing.
- Hanson backs Tony Abbott to lead the Liberals.
- She criticises Angus Taylor and Tim Wilson.
- Hanson says the right may need to work together to oust Labor.
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Pauline Hanson leads One Nation, a right-wing party that appeals to socially conservative and economically nationalist voters in Australia. Angus Taylor currently leads the Liberal Party, which is the main right-wing force in Australian politics. In recent comments, Hanson said she would prefer Tony Abbott, a former Liberal prime minister, to take over the party's leadership instead of Taylor.
One Nation has grown significantly in recent polling, with some surveys showing it ahead of Labor as the country's second most popular party. The Coalition, which comprises the Liberal Party and the Nationals, has struggled against this competition for conservative voters. Hanson's willingness to work with the Coalition suggests both parties recognise they need conservative voters to unite to remove the Labor government.
The Liberal Party's potential next leaders include Taylor, Tim Wilson, and possibly Josh Frydenberg, a former treasurer. Abbott was prime minister from 2013 to 2015 and remains a significant figure in Liberal politics, though he no longer sits in parliament. Hanson's endorsement of Abbott reflects the tactical calculations within Australia's right-wing politics, where One Nation and the Liberals compete for the same voter base.