New Opposition Leader Angus Taylor says housing affordability and cost of living will be key priorities under his leadership.<\/p>\n
Today marks his first official day on the job after he decisively ousted Sussan Ley in a leadership spill yesterday<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mr Taylor and his newly anointed deputy, Victorian senator Jane Hume, spent the morning in his hometown of Goulburn, north of Canberra, speaking to builders and young families.<\/p>\n Farrer’s future in the air<\/a><\/p>\n Attention in Farrer turns to who might replace Sussan Ley within minutes of her resignation.<\/p>\n “Owning a home has always been an essential part of the Australian ideal, of the Australian journey, of what young Australians do as they start a family and I think it’s an essential part of being part of this great nation,” he said.<\/p>\n While it is unclear what policies Mr Taylor will offer to tackle Australia’s housing crisis, he said he planned to accelerate developments by cutting red tape and winding back regulations.<\/p>\n Mr Taylor also flagged the Opposition would push back on any changes to the capital gains tax discount, which benefits property investors when they sell their properties.<\/p>\n “If you tax something more, you get less of it,” he said.<\/p>\n The Albanese government is considering policies to address the housing crisis and has not ruled out changes to the capital gains tax discount for investors, but wants any tax changes to improve housing affordability<\/a>.<\/p>\n After losing the Liberal Party leadership ballot to Mr Taylor on Friday, Ms Ley announced she would be resigning from parliament, which will trigger a by-election in the south-western NSW seat of Farrer<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mr Taylor conceded it would be difficult for the Liberal Party to retain the seat.<\/p>\n “Of course it’s going to be challenging, Farrer will be challenging, it will be a cast of many but we’re going to be out there fighting for our values, fighting for what we believe in,” he said.<\/p>\n “We need to demonstrate to ordinary Australians that we stand for their values, their way of life.”<\/p>\n An independent candidate who is putting her hand up for Farrer said locals were tired of the Coalition’s infighting.<\/p>\n