As Hanson and Taylor change tack, the PM can maintain a steady course

August 21, 2026 — 5:00am

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Anthony Albanese claimed a trio of policy wins this week, but it’s the longer-term pattern shifts under way within the Liberal Party and One Nation that are more significant.

First, the Liberal Party returned to the role of a constructive opposition by negotiating with Labor; second, One Nation is also looking increasingly like a mainstream party, this week releasing a policy designed sensibly to break the booming tobacco black market.

As fury over “melon-gate” died down, Albanese and Angus Taylor struck deals to cut back the National Disability Insurance Scheme, changes the rules on gambling advertising and on the News Bargaining Incentive. All three policies have been a headache for the government (gambling most of all) so doing a deal and getting them off the agenda is welcome.

This week was the first time since Taylor became leader that he has dealt himself into negotiations on controversial legislation and struck deals with the PM rather than just sniping from the sidelines (much as his two predecessors, Sussan Ley and Peter Dutton, had mostly done).

Taylor didn’t get everything he wanted, though he did secure the axing of the so-called “widow’s tax” sooner than the government had planned. This matters because while Labor controls the numbers in the lower house, the government needs either the Greens or the Coalition to pass laws in the Senate – and until now, the Coalition has been unwilling to compromise on legislation.

By dealing himself in and negotiating, the Liberal Party leader took a page out of John Howard’s playbook from when he was opposition leader in the 1980s and ensured the Coalition looked more like a mature party of government than it has for some time.

Taylor needs to do more of this sort........

© The Age