Coalition split on Andrew Bragg speech as senator urges colleagues to 'follow his lead'

Liberal senator Andrew McLachlan has publicly backed Andrew Bragg and urged colleagues to "follow his lead" after a speech that has split the party and triggered a rebuke from opposition leader Angus Taylor. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.

At the National Press Club on Wednesday, Bragg announced a policy to slash the national construction code and suggested net overseas migration should be cut from about 300,000 to below 180,000 a year to keep pace with new housing builds.

Senior colleagues, including Taylor, were quick to dismiss the migration figure, calling them Bragg's "personal views" and saying the party's policy was yet to be finalised. Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson said: "I don't think you should bank that at all."

McLachlan called Bragg's speech "a masterclass in thought leadership" and said every Coalition member should "follow his lead and discuss policy pathways openly." Queensland senator Paul Scarr also praised the speech as "terrific" and reinforcing core Liberal values.

However, some Liberals have been frustrated by Bragg's intervention. One MP said privately that colleagues were angry at the lack of discipline and this could be "his last chance."

Bragg maintained it was important to talk about big ideas, even though many of his proposals, such as a specific net migration target, hadn't been approved by the shadow cabinet. He said voters needed "ambitious policy for tomorrow, not micro-announcements for today."

On Friday, Bragg corrected comments made on RN Breakfast where he responded "yes, definitely" when asked whether Australians should accept substandard homes under his changes. He said he had misheard the question and that houses built to this standard would be "strong, safe and sound homes with all the basic amenity."

One Liberal MP, speaking anonymously, said there had been an overreaction to the speech, likely from "not reading what was actually in the speech." They welcomed Bragg's fresh take and said he consistently showed he wasn't a "benchwarmer."

Nationals leader Matt Canavan shot down any cuts to working holiday visas but praised Bragg's "big ideas," saying: "I love Andrew Bragg. He's full of ideas... we need people like him."