Angus Taylor says he will unite the Liberal Party, but a deeper rift is forming between those who want to overhaul the party’s direction and those who believe doing so would mean political death.<\/p>\n
Respecting Australia’s parliamentary democracy, equality of opportunity for all people “regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, race or national or ethnic origin” is also in the statement.<\/p>\n
As is an explanation of the concept of a “fair go” for all which embraces “mutual respect, tolerance” and “compassion for those in need”.<\/p>\n
The values statement also required permanent visa applicants to commit to making “reasonable efforts” to learn English if it was not their native language.<\/p>\n
The leaked draft of the Coalition’s immigration policy, which was developed by then-shadow home affairs minister Jonno Duniam, shadow immigration minister Paul Scarr and Ms Ley’s office, pledged to “elevate the importance” of the Australian values statement.<\/p>\n
“Making compliance with the [values statement] a visa condition will better reflect the expectation of the Australian people that visa holders conduct themselves in accordance with Australian values during their stay,” the draft policy said.<\/p>\n
“Conduct constituting a breach of visa conditions may result in visa cancellation and persons found in breach of those conditions may be required to leave Australia.”<\/p>\n
Policy was set to be released this week<\/p>\n
Ms Ley, who lost the Liberal leadership to Angus Taylor last Friday, had been preparing to release the Coalition’s comprehensive migration plan this week.<\/p>\n
But her ousting has resulted in the policy being put on ice for further review by Mr Taylor and his yet-to-be-announced shadow ministry.<\/p>\n
During his first few days as leader Mr Taylor has signalled migration will be a major focus of his policy platform.<\/p>\n
On Monday Mr Taylor said he did not want migrants who did not accept the “most basic beliefs that have made this country successful”.<\/p>\n
![\"Angus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/02f69e347f41666702034c7fe9c35350.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Angus Taylor has signalled migration will be a major focus under his leadership. (ABC News: David Sciasci)<\/p>\n
“We believe that you need to obey the law,” he told Channel Seven’s Sunrise.<\/p>\n
“We believe in basic freedoms of speech and religion, and if people don’t accept those things they shouldn’t come to our country.<\/p>\n
“The door should be shut.”<\/p>\n
It is understood the Coalition’s policy would also have aimed to reduce net overseas migration (NOM) to 170,000 people a year.<\/p>\n
The NOM has dropped from 429,000 in 2023-24 to about 306,000 for 2024-25, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’s December data.<\/p>\n
Labor has an annual NOM target of 225,000 people over the next three years.<\/p>\n