The Liberals have chosen Angus Taylor, a proven liar who is opposed to net zero policies, as the man to lead the parliamentary party.
With that background it would seem he is more likely to lead them further into oblivion than to victory at the ballot box.
In 2019 Taylor lied repeatedly about a forged document he used to attack Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
He and his right-wing colleagues oppose the science-based attempt by Australia to try to reach net zero by 2050.
But a Guardian Essential poll in October 2025 "found Liberal voters want the party to pursue more progressive policies and not spiral further into rightwing positions, according to a new poll that shows far more Australians back a net zero climate target than oppose it."
And a November YoyGov poll found that "...only 13% of Australians think the government should do less to limit the impacts of climate-fuelled extreme weather events while 61% think the Federal Government should do more on climate change."
Taylor was shown to be a liar in 2019 when he was Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction.
He alleged in a letter to the Lord Mayor that the council's annual report showed the council had spent $1.7m on international travel and $14.2m on domestic travel. The letter was also given to the Daily Telegraph which published the figures.
The Lord Mayor checked the report which showed the council had actually spent less than $6,000 on international and domestic travel.
In Parliament Mark Butler asked Taylor: "I refer to his provision of a forged City of Sydney document to The Daily Telegraph in an attempt to influence the Lord Mayor of Sydney in the exercise of her public duty. Will the minister assure the House that this forgery was not made by him or his office?"
To which Taylor answered: "Yes".
In a press release that was tabled in Parliament on 25 October 2019, Taylor denied a staffer in his office had altered the document.
On 25 November 2019, the Minister tabled a statement in Parliament stating that neither he, nor any of his staff, had altered the annual report.
In apologising to the Lord Mayor, Taylor said in a media release: "The Labor Party has, in typical fashion, dramatically overreached by claiming the documents were forged or altered. There is absolutely no basis for these assertions."
In December it was revealed: "Liberal staffer Josh Manuatu was on Wednesday identified as the person who obtained the false figures that were used in a Daily Telegraph article that criticised Clover Moore."
Senator Murray Watt was counting Taylor's lies. "He has misled the parliament six times, claiming the doctored documents were sourced from the City of Sydney's website."
Both men have since prospered. Despite the scandal Manuatu was not sacked and in February 2020 became the Liberals Canberra divisional director. He is now Assistant Federal Director at Liberal Party of Australia.
With that background it would seem he is more likely to lead them further into oblivion than to victory at the ballot box.
In 2019 Taylor lied repeatedly about a forged document he used to attack Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
He and his right-wing colleagues oppose the science-based attempt by Australia to try to reach net zero by 2050.
But a Guardian Essential poll in October 2025 "found Liberal voters want the party to pursue more progressive policies and not spiral further into rightwing positions, according to a new poll that shows far more Australians back a net zero climate target than oppose it."
And a November YoyGov poll found that "...only 13% of Australians think the government should do less to limit the impacts of climate-fuelled extreme weather events while 61% think the Federal Government should do more on climate change."
Taylor was shown to be a liar in 2019 when he was Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction.
He alleged in a letter to the Lord Mayor that the council's annual report showed the council had spent $1.7m on international travel and $14.2m on domestic travel. The letter was also given to the Daily Telegraph which published the figures.
The Lord Mayor checked the report which showed the council had actually spent less than $6,000 on international and domestic travel.
In Parliament Mark Butler asked Taylor: "I refer to his provision of a forged City of Sydney document to The Daily Telegraph in an attempt to influence the Lord Mayor of Sydney in the exercise of her public duty. Will the minister assure the House that this forgery was not made by him or his office?"
To which Taylor answered: "Yes".
In a press release that was tabled in Parliament on 25 October 2019, Taylor denied a staffer in his office had altered the document.
On 25 November 2019, the Minister tabled a statement in Parliament stating that neither he, nor any of his staff, had altered the annual report.
In apologising to the Lord Mayor, Taylor said in a media release: "The Labor Party has, in typical fashion, dramatically overreached by claiming the documents were forged or altered. There is absolutely no basis for these assertions."
In December it was revealed: "Liberal staffer Josh Manuatu was on Wednesday identified as the person who obtained the false figures that were used in a Daily Telegraph article that criticised Clover Moore."
Senator Murray Watt was counting Taylor's lies. "He has misled the parliament six times, claiming the doctored documents were sourced from the City of Sydney's website."
Both men have since prospered. Despite the scandal Manuatu was not sacked and in February 2020 became the Liberals Canberra divisional director. He is now Assistant Federal Director at Liberal Party of Australia.