Karl Stefanovic has delivered a blunt verdict on newly elected Liberal leader Angus Taylor, questioning both his impact and the party’s broader performance in the wake of this morning’s leadership spill.
Speaking on KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O Show, the Today Show host did not hold back when informed mid-interview that Taylor had defeated Sussan Ley to claim the Liberal leadership.
“He’s pretty dull,” Stefanovic said.
Continuing, he added: “he’s had every opportunity to go to government in a significant way, and he’s done nothing.”
Leadership spill resets the Liberal Party
Taylor secured the leadership with 34 votes to Ley’s 17 in a swift party room ballot that lasted just 19 minutes, bringing an abrupt end to Ley’s short and turbulent tenure.
Her leadership had come under sustained pressure following two public splits with Coalition partner the Nationals, fuelling concerns about stability and internal cohesion as the opposition attempts to regroup ahead of the next federal election.
Jane Hume was elected deputy leader, defeating Ted O’Brien 30 votes to 20, with one informal vote recorded, installing a new leadership team tasked with steadying the party after months of internal division.
Stefanovic takes aim at Liberal Party divisions
Beyond his criticism of Taylor personally, Stefanovic widened his attack to the Liberal Party’s internal dynamics and recent political conduct.
“They’re so full of factions,” he said.
“They don’t care about anyone else. Can you have let the Australian public down more than they have in the last two months?”
His comments reflect growing scrutiny of the opposition’s ability to present a unified front, particularly amid ongoing economic pressures and global instability.
“When Bondi’s happened, when there’s significant things going on in the world, the cost of living is crunching and all of a sudden it’s been ineffective,” Stefanovic said.
Media reaction underscores political stakes
The remarks, delivered on one of Australia’s highest-rating commercial radio shows, underscore the extent to which leadership changes now play out not just within Parliament, but across the broader media ecosystem.
As Taylor steps into leadership, he inherits a party seeking not just structural stability but also renewed public relevance. Whether he can shift perceptions, including those voiced by influential media figures like Stefanovic, may prove as critical as consolidating internal support.
For now, the Liberal Party has its new leader. The harder task, rebuilding momentum and credibility, starts immediately.