Liberal frontbencher calls for party ‘rebrand’ after drop in polls, prompting ridicule from Labor

Melissa McIntosh, shadow minister for the NDIS, said ‘I think it’s time for the Liberal party to rebrand itself.’ Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP View image in fullscreen Melissa McIntosh, shadow minister for the NDIS, said ‘I think it’s time for the Liberal party to rebrand itself.’ Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP Liberal frontbencher calls for party ‘rebrand’ after drop in polls, prompting ridicule from Labor Melissa McIntosh’s comment comes after Angus Taylor’s claim Morrison government ‘breached trust’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has said the party might need a “rebrand” to win back voters who continue to desert the opposition, with the Coalition hitting a new historic polling low. Her comments came after the opposition leader, Angus Taylor , claimed the Morrison government – of which he was a senior minister – had “breached trust” with the electorate during the Covid pandemic by supporting “big government”. On Monday, he defended himself against criticisms, telling 2GB radio: “You can’t turn around a tanker in a few months.” More than four months on from rolling Sussan Ley amid dwindling polling numbers, Taylor’s leadership has seen the Coalition’s slide continue. The Coalition’s primary vote dropped to 17% in Monday’s Newspoll – well behind Labor (33%) and One Nation (29%), and barely above the Greens (13%). Angus Taylor was installed to save the Coalition. But as One Nation rises, is he leading them to disaster? Read more A separate poll, from Redbridge research and released on Monday, also found rising support for Labor amid a dip in support for One Nation and the Coalition. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email Taylor’s leadership is not under imminent threat , but after a series of underwhelming performances , Liberal MPs have quietly begun discussing their concerns about the party’s direction. McIntosh, the shadow minister for the NDIS, said the party needed something fresh. “I think it’s time for the Liberal party to rebrand itself,” she said on Sky News. “Some people think that we’re stuck in the past and our policies need to resonate with the Australia of today and the future. So I think it’d be a really good time for us to revisit our values.” Noting Sky’s own rebrand , with the channel to be known as News24 from next month, McIntosh didn’t reject questions about whether the Liberal name should be changed. “Does that mean changing name? You mentioned the Sky News rebrand, is it a problem with the word liberal these days?” McIntosh was asked. She replied: “Well, this is the thing. We need to get some experts in and I was just inspired by Sky News.” “But when things aren’t going right within brands, it is a time to take a bit of stock and look at where we can go in the future.” McIntosh said the Liberals needed to not “look like we’re stuck in the past” but instead present as “a modern party with modern values t