https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/feb/13/australia-politics-l...


7h ago

16.55 AEDT

What we learned: Friday 13 February


We will wrap up the live blog here for the evening.

This is what made the news:

Angus Taylor has been elected the new leader of the Liberal party, defeating Sussan Ley in a partyroom ballot.

Jane Hume was elected deputy, defeating incumbent deputy Ted O’Brien.

Ley announced she would retire from politics, triggering a by-election in her seat of Farrer.

It will likely be a hotly-contested byelection, with One Nation, the independent from the last election, and Nats all likely to run against the Liberals.

In his first speech as leader, Taylor signalled the Liberal party would focus on lowering the rate of immigration and said if “someone doesn’t subscribe to our core beliefs, the door must be shut”.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said people describe Taylor as “the best-qualified idiot they’ve ever met”.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, said of the leadership change that it was the “different jockey, same dead horse.”