Change or die: how the Liberal Party’s long resistance to reform has left it fighting for life
The Liberals never gave members the same scope to be involved and influence policy as Labor did. Now, they are paying the price for it.
The Liberal Party of Australia has struggled to attract voters and has experienced leadership uncertainty, leading to a call for change from Angus Taylor, the party's leader in February 2026. To modernize itself, the party established a commission in May 2026 to gather ideas and create a reform agenda addressing organizational hierarchy, representation, and factionalism issues.
Our research indicates that the party's lack of willingness to reform has left it disconnected from voters and now in an existential crisis. The Liberal Party emerged in the early 20th century as a response to non-Labor parties' fragile alliances. Its current structure allows the parliamentary party and leader to maintain significant power over the party's policy direction, while state divisions have limited control.
However, this formula has not kept the party in touch with voters, leading to electoral losses and a shift to more identity politics issues. The party's decline can be attributed to its resistance to modernization and centralization, resulting in a membership base that is outdated, partisan, and less ideologically flexible.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
