AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Taylor’s purge of frontbench rewards conservative backers

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 18-Feb-26

Opposition leader Angus Taylor says his frontbench reshuffle marks a "fresh beginning" for the Coalition. Six members of the Liberal Party’s conservative faction have been promoted to the shadow cabinet, including Jacinta Price, Andrew Hastie and Sarah Henderson. Meanwhile, Tim Wilson has been shifted to the treasury portfolio and Clare Chandler will take on the finance portfolio. Four moderates have been demoted to the outer shadow ministry and four will join the backbench. Taylor has also reinstated the portfolios of Nationals frontbenchers who had been ‘sinbinned’ by Taylor’s predecessor Sussan Ley after they voted against Labor’s hate speech laws.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Albanese’s message for ISIS brides: no sympathy and expect full force of the law

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 18-Feb-26

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor says the latest group of so-called ISIS brides in Syria who are seeking to return to Australia should not be allowed to do so. He contends that "the door must be shut" to people who do not believe in Australian values, and he has called for transparency from the federal government regarding its management of the 34 women and children. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated that the government is "providing absolutely no support" to the ISIS brides and is not repatriating them. He adds that the cohort will "face the full force of Australian law" if they return and are found to have committed any offences. A spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has indicated that he is getting advice as whether some of the 11 women and 23 children can be barred from Australia via temporary exclusion orders.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS

Doctors fees revealed as bulk billing spikes

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Original article by Natasha Robinson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Feb-26

Data from the federal government shows that 3,412 medical clinics nationwide now offer full bulk-billing, an increase of nearly 1,300 since Labor’s reforms were introduced in November. The figures show that the national bulk-billing rate has increased by more than four percentage points to 81.4 per cent of GP consultations over the last three months. Health Minister Mark Butler says GPs and medical clinics are moving back to bulk billing because it works for patients and their practices. Meanwhile, the government will legislate to allow more data to be uploaded to the existing Medical Costs Finder website; this will enable consumers to compare out-of-pocket expenses for GPs, specialists and hospitals.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, DISABILITY AND AGEING, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

PM stares down Hard Left

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Original article by Ben Packham, James Dowling
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 11-Feb-26

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has praised the federal government’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism; however, he said the test will be in these measures’ full implementation and their outcome. Herzog also stated that he is on a mission to improve Israel’s relations with the federal government after a number of disagreements, including his nation’s right to defend itself. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged the people involved in violent protests against Herzog on Monday night to "turn the temperature down"; he told parliament that Herzog deserves to be treated with respect during his official visit, and stated that he will not walk away from his support for Herzog’s presence in Australia.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Taylor backers plot mass resignations as Ley’s allies invoke Turnbull hardball tactics

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Original article by Paul Sakkal
The Age – Page: Online : 11-Feb-26

Opposition leader Sussan Ley is under renewed scrutiny amid growing speculation of an imminent move to oust her. Sources have indicated that Liberal MP Angus Taylor is preparing to resign from the shadow frontbench as a prelude to launching a leadership challenge. Supporters of Taylor are also believed to be planning to quit the frontbench en masse in order to put further pressure on Ley. MPs from the Liberals’ moderate and conservative factions have urged Taylor to declare his hand. Meanwhile, Ley’s supporters want her to invoke a rule that requires a majority of the partyroom to sign a petition calling for a leadership ballot. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull used the same rule in 2018 in an attempt to ward off a challenge by Peter Dutton; Scott Morrison won the resulting ballot.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

The Geoff Wilson model for CGT change

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-Feb-26

Wilson Asset Management’s founder Geoff Wilson supports changes to the capital gains tax discount for existing homes. He stresses that any such reforms must be revenue-neutral rather than a budget "cash grab". Wilson adds that CGT reforms must ensure that capital is moved from non-productive assets such as property to productive assets. He says one option would be to reduce the CGT discount for purchases of existing houses for investors to about 25 per cent while increasing the discount on investing in Australian businesses to 75 per cent. Wilson will appear before a Senate Inquiry into CGT in coming weeks. The CGT discount applies to any asset that has been held for at least 12 months.

CORPORATES
WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT

Federal Voting Intention: ALP loses support as Reserve Bank raises interest rates – on a two-party preferred basis ALP 53.5% (down 2.5%) cf. L-NP Coalition 46.5% (up 2.5%)

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 10-Feb-26

The Roy Morgan Poll from February 2-8, 2026 shows primary support for the ALP down 2% to 28.5%, One Nation down 0.5% to 24.5%, and the L-NP Coalition up 2% to 22.5% – interviewing for the survey was completed before the Coalition re-united on Sunday afternoon. Support for the Greens was up 1% to 13.5% and support for Independents/Other Parties was down 0.5% to 11%, according to the latest Roy Morgan survey conducted with a representative Australia-wide cross-section of 1,584 electors. On a two-party preferred basis, the ALP is 53.5% (down 2.5% from a week ago) ahead of the Coalition on 46.5% (up 2.5%). When preferences from this week’s Roy Morgan survey are allocated based on how Australians voted at the 2025 Federal Election the two-party preferred result is closer than the respondent allocated preferences with the ALP on 53% (down 1.5%) leading the L-NP Coalition on 47% (up 1.5%).

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Taylor claims to have numbers but Ley digs in

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 10-Feb-26

Sources close to Opposition leader Sussan Ley contend that there is "zero chance" of her stepping aside, despite ongoing scrutiny over her future and dismal public opinion polls. Members of the Liberal Party’s moderates faction have expressed support for Ley, and dispute claims by supporters of would-be leadership contender Angus Taylor that he has sufficient numbers in the party-room to force a spill and win the resulting ballot. However, shadow attorney-general Andrew Wallace says the focus should be on rebuilding the newly-unified Coalition, arguing that the Liberals will face a backlash if the party’s first female leader is ousted.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Bernardi backs One Nation to replace Libs

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Original article by David Penberthy
The Australian – Page: 7 : 4-Feb-26

Former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi says that frustration over the lack of a viable opposition in South Australia was a key driver of his decision to re-enter politics. The state election will be held on 21 March, and Bernardi says the SA Liberals have failed to make any inroads against Premier Peter Malinauskas. Bernardi will be the lead candidate on One Nation’s ticket for the state’s upper house; he says that One Nation could potentially replace the Liberals as Australia’s major conservative party. He adds that voters are desperate for both a political alternative and an open environment where they can state their views without being criticised.

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ONE NATION PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Last-ditch bid to reunite Coalition

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 4-Feb-26

It has been revealed that Opposition leader Sussan Ley outlined several ‘non-negotiable’ conditions in talks with National Party leader David Littleproud about re-forming the Coalition. However, some Nationals MPs are said to have firmly rejected a requirement for three of its senators to remain relegated to the backbench for six months; their decision to breach shadow cabinet solidarity rules by voting against Labor’s hate speech laws had prompted the Coalition to split for the second time in less than a year. Nationals MP Llew O’Brien has indicated that he will not support reunification unless the Liberals and Nationals agree to repeal the hate speech laws. Littleproud is expected to seek another meeting with Ley today in a final attempt to reach a deal between the former Coalition partners.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY