Liberal MPs Issue Stern Warning to New Leader Angus Taylor on Immigration Direction
Moderate Liberal MPs have delivered a forceful warning to their newly elected leader, Angus Taylor, urging him to resist adopting hardline Trump-style immigration policies that could push the party further to the right. The caution comes in response to a leaked immigration proposal drafted under former leader Sussan Ley, which suggested banning migrants from 37 specific regions across 13 countries where terrorist organizations hold territorial control.
Leaked Proposal Sparks Immediate Backlash
The controversial plan, revealed by Guardian Australia, targets regions within Afghanistan, Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, the Philippines, Somalia, and Yemen. Conservative Liberal senator Leah Blyth immediately voiced concerns about the dangers of generalization, stating emphatically that "not everyone from those regions is a terrorist."
Blyth, who is of Burmese descent, provided a powerful example using Myanmar's situation, arguing that entire populations should not be banned from Australia simply because their country is under military rule. "We don't want terrorists or people that don't like our way of life coming into Australia," she acknowledged, "But we've got to be mindful of what generalizations mean, because a lot of innocent people are repressed under these regimes."
Key Figures Distance Themselves from Controversial Aspects
Paul Scarr, who served as shadow immigration minister under Sussan Ley and helped design portions of the proposal, publicly disowned the country ban component on Monday. Scarr revealed he "never agreed" to this aspect and had "a range of serious concerns" about the policy, emphasizing he never signed off on it.
South Australian senator Andrew McLachlan added his voice to the growing chorus of concern, warning his party against adopting One Nation's hardline anti-immigration rhetoric. "Populist rhetoric adds nothing constructive to this discussion," McLachlan stated. "We should always seek to attract the best and brightest people in the world who want to join us in building an amazing multicultural society. It does not matter what country they come from."
Broader Implications and Internal Party Tensions
The leaked proposal contained additional controversial measures, including plans to remove up to 100,000 asylum seekers and international students from Australia more rapidly. It also proposed restricting visa holders' rights to appeal immigration decisions and blocking their consideration for other visas.
Angus Taylor, fresh from his election as opposition leader on Friday, has already indicated the Coalition intends to propose significant immigration cuts and introduce a new system to "shut the door" on individuals who do not embrace Australia's core values, including basic freedoms and democracy.
Anonymous MPs Express Deep Concerns
One Liberal MP, speaking anonymously, emphasized that while they weren't necessarily opposed to restricting migration from certain regions, the tone would be absolutely crucial in presenting any such policy to the Australian public. "We don't want to get caught in culture wars, caught in pitting communities against each other," they warned. "If we go down that path we're really going to struggle."
Another Liberal MP revealed significant internal pressure to align more closely with Trump administration policies, stating, "I think there's pressure for people within the party to go to that Donald Trump, 'we're not going to accept people from Muslim countries' route." However, this MP expressed doubt that the party would ultimately adopt such an approach.
Historical Comparisons and Future Survival Concerns
The discussion has drawn uncomfortable historical parallels, with former Prime Minister Tony Abbott telling the ABC on Friday that he wanted immigration policies to return to those of the 1950s to 1970s—the White Australia era. This comment has heightened concerns among moderates about the party's direction under Taylor's leadership.
A senior moderate Liberal expressed being "very concerned" that the party would shift further rightward under Taylor's leadership, noting, "The fact that we've now got a party that's almost completely driven by people who are very socially conservative is a concern."
A fourth anonymous Liberal MP delivered perhaps the starkest warning, suggesting that if the party adopts hardline immigration positions, moderates would not survive politically. "I don't think they can beat One Nation on immigration," they stated. "If you read into what [Jacinta] Price and [Andrew] Hastie say and go down this hardline immigration route, moderates won't survive that."
This internal debate occurs as the Liberal Party attempts to regain ground from One Nation, which has experienced significant growth in opinion polls since the federal election. The tension between appealing to conservative voters while maintaining moderate support represents one of Taylor's most immediate and challenging leadership tests.
