New Leaders Face Tests in Australia

0:00In Sydney, it's March 12th, here's what is happening. The liberal and national parties in Australia have just installed new leaders, Angus Taylor for the Liberals, and Matt Canavan for the Nationals. This comes after a month of terrible polling and tough challenges. It's the first time both parties change leaders at once since April 1990, when John Hussin and Tim Fisher stepped up after a close. Election loss. Upcoming tests will show if the new team can turn things around. There's a state election in South Australia that could go badly, plus the Ferrer by election on May 9th. Nationals they expect to come in fourth, behind liberals, one nation, and an independent. Meanwhile, a Middle East war has Australia involved driving up petrol prices and inflation, which hits everyday living costs hard. These distractions play right into Labour's hands. Treasureer Jim Chalmers has timed the federal budget three days after the fair vote, making it tough for the opposition to attack it clearly. Prime Minister Anthony Alvanez wants to lock in changes like cutting the capital gains

1:04tax discount and curbing negative gearing tax breaks, pushing, ideas of fairness and equity. The coalition plans to fight these moves tooth and nail, but that could backfire. Those tax perks mostly help older Australians, and younger voters see them as unfair status quo. With one nation pulling votes from the right, opposing change might just highlight divisions. Labour's big house majority means their opposition won't stop the laws anyway. Instead of yelling from the sidelines, Taylor and Cannes should negotiate like John Howard did back in the day. That approach helped rebuild credibility during tough times. With the budget looming, deciding on a seat at the table could define their leadership early on. This story is made possible by our sponsor, see the episode description. If sleep podcasts are your thing, this is your pillow. Built for comfort and calm, S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com