{"id":2556,"date":"2026-02-14T04:09:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T04:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=2556"},"modified":"2026-02-14T04:09:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T04:09:52","slug":"anthony-albanese-taunts-new-liberal-leaders-in-first-comments-since-sussan-leys-ousting-australian-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=2556","title":{"rendered":"Anthony Albanese taunts new Liberal leaders in first comments since Sussan Ley\u2019s ousting | Australian politics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/angus-taylor\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Angus Taylor<\/a>, asking: \u201cCan a souffl\u00e9 rise once?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Albanese played on an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2013-11-12\/the-collected-insults-of-paul-keating\/5071412\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">infamous insult<\/a> from former prime minister Paul Keating, who asked whether a souffl\u00e9 rises twice when Liberal Andrew Peacock mounted a challenge to regain the party leadership in 1989.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cAngus Taylor presents us with a new question: can a souffl\u00e9 rise once?\u201d Albanese said during a speech to the NSW Labor Country conference in Orange on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed&amp;CMP=emailbutton\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"><sub class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">It was the prime minister\u2019s first public comment on Taylor\u2019s toppling of Sussan Ley in a long-anticipated Liberal leadership spill. Taylor\u2019s 34-votes-to-17 win on Friday brought down the Liberals\u2019 first female leader just nine months after she took the top job.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"09336bee-bbd9-4683-971f-0009316cdb74\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:5,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;A \u2018desiccated coconut\u2019 and a \u2018grub\u2019: Angus Taylor has copped some insults \u2013 but he\u2019s in good company &quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;09336bee-bbd9-4683-971f-0009316cdb74&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;richLink&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2026\/feb\/13\/a-desiccated-coconut-and-a-grub-angus-taylor-has-copped-some-insults-but-hes-in-good-company&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:0,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Albanese said Taylor and his new deputy, Senator Jane Hume, had both damaged their party with their various opposition to tax cuts, cost-of-living relief and renewable energy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt is extraordinary that they have had eight months of plotting in order to deliver the two people to the leadership positions who, more than anyone else on their entire show, were responsible for alienating the Liberals from the Australian voters,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cBut that is what they have done. Every single challenge that is before us, they have failed on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Within minutes of the change of leadership, the federal government rolled out online attack ads criticising Taylor\u2019s record as a minister and shadow treasurer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Murray Watt, a federal minister, said the spill would do little for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/coalition\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Coalition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/liberal-party\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Liberal party<\/a> has completely lost touch with the vast majority of Australians and what they care about,\u201d Watt told reporters in Sydney on Friday. \u201cThere is no evidence to date that Angus Taylor has any solutions for those challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The treasurer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/jim-chalmers--australian-politician-\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Jim Chalmers<\/a>, said Taylor\u2019s record was shambolic.<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"EmailSignUpWrapper\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;index&quot;:13,&quot;listId&quot;:6048,&quot;identityName&quot;:&quot;breaking-news-australia&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;Get the most important news as it breaks&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Breaking News Australia&quot;,&quot;frequency&quot;:&quot;When needed&quot;,&quot;successDescription&quot;:&quot;We'll send you Breaking News Australia when needed.&quot;,&quot;theme&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;idApiUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/idapi.theguardian.com&quot;,&quot;hideNewsletterSignupComponentForSubscribers&quot;:true}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cAngus has zero credibility on the economy and neither does the bin fire that is the Coalition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Just days after reforming the Coalition with Ley at the helm, the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, said Taylor would be the right person to lead the opposition back into government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cAngus is the leader Australia needs to take up the fight against Labor\u2019s reckless spending and ideology,\u201d he said. \u201cAngus can offer hope to aspirant Australians and those who are struggling to enter the housing market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ley announced she would resign from parliament in the coming weeks after losing the leadership, triggering a byelection in her NSW seat of Farrer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">One Nation\u2019s leader, Pauline Hanson, said her party would field a candidate in the upcoming byelection.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"3ab02f04-8db0-4f12-aab8-6acfd04dcc07\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.EmbedBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"UnsafeEmbedBlockComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;script src=\\&quot;https:\/\/uploads.guim.co.uk\/2025\/01\/21\/article-button.js\\&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;pointer&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:19,&quot;isTracking&quot;:false,&quot;isMainMedia&quot;:false,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;The Guardian&quot;,&quot;sourceDomain&quot;:&quot;uploads.guim.co.uk&quot;}\"><iframe class=\"js-embed__iframe dcr-uzb1jv\" title=\"pointer\" name=\"unsafe-embed-19\" data-testid=\"embed-block\" srcdoc=\"&lt;script src=&quot;https:\/\/uploads.guim.co.uk\/2025\/01\/21\/article-button.js&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt;&#10;            &lt;script src=&quot;https:\/\/interactive.guim.co.uk\/libs\/iframe-messenger\/iframeMessenger.js&quot;&gt;&lt;\/script&gt;&#10;            &lt;gu-script&gt;iframeMessenger.enableAutoResize();&lt;\/gu-script&gt;\"><\/iframe><\/gu-island><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2026\/feb\/14\/anthony-albanese-souffle-liberal-leaders-angus-taylor-jane-hume\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The prime minister has borrowed from a sharp-tongued predecessor to launch his first attack on the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, asking: \u201cCan a souffl\u00e9 rise&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2557,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}