Australian opposition leader vows historic immigration cuts and fuel price 'shield'

Australia's federal opposition (Coalition) leader Angus Taylor addressed the New South Wales Liberal party state council in Sydney on Saturday, six months ahead of the state election in March. In his speech, he sharply criticised the governing Labor party, describing it as "socialist in all but name" and claiming that for the past four years it had been "utterly failing the nation".

Taylor also criticised Labor politicians for standing in front of three flags rather than a single national flag at press conferences, calling the practice "divisive". He pledged to protect Australia's national flag and Australia Day, and to change laws relating to gender.

Pledge to cut immigration

After the government unveiled a new immigration plan — converting a former quarantine facility into a detention centre and barring international students from bringing family members to Australia — Taylor said the Coalition would go further. He vowed to deliver "one of the biggest cuts to immigration in Australian history" if elected. The Coalition is hoping to win back voters who have drifted to One Nation ahead of the New South Wales state election in March.

Fuel price 'shield'

On the same day, the opposition announced a fuel policy under which the federal fuel excise would automatically be halved whenever the two-week average price of Brent crude oil exceeds US$100 a barrel. The Coalition estimates this would cut prices by 27 cents a litre and save around $15 on a typical tank of fuel, while costing the government roughly $950m a month. The measure would lapse after three months or once the eight-week average price fell below US$100. According to the opposition's analysis, such a shield would have been triggered twice in the past five years — during the oil price shock of early 2022 and again in March this year.