Liberal MP Julian Leeser has identified four critical failures that led to his party's devastating election loss, including poor policy communication on cost-of-living issues and overconfidence from the Voice referendum victory.
In an ABC news Australia interview following the historic defeat, Leeser said the Liberal Party failed to address voters' fundamental concerns about mortgage costs and electricity bills, instead focusing on "esoteric issues" during the final week of campaigning.
"People were not talking to me about those issues at all until we raised them," Leeser said. "They were concerned about paying their electricity bills. They were concerned about paying their mortgage."
The former Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, who stepped aside from the frontbench over his support for the Voice referendum, outlined what he described as structural problems plaguing the party.
Leeser said the party's success in defeating the Voice referendum created "a false sense of confidence" among colleagues, combined with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's handling of domestic anti-Semitism issues.
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