Michaelia Cash dismisses calls to rebrand the Liberal Party as fresh polling heaps pressure on the Coalition

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 02:28, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 02:29, 30 June 2026 Liberal Senate Leader Michaelia Cash has brushed aside a fellow frontbencher's controversial calls for a Liberal Party rebrand. Shadow NDIS Minister Melissa McIntosh called for a rethink of the Liberals' image, and even their name, on Monday amid worsening polling. 'I think it'd be a really good time for us to revisit our values, what we stand for and the way we project ourselves to Australians,' she said.  On Tuesday, Cash pushed back on her colleague's comments during an interview with Nine's Sarah Abo on the Today program. 'Australians don't want us to rebrand. They want us to change the country that is actually going backwards,' Cash said. 'Australians don't wake up in the morning and say, "What do political parties call themselves?" 'They are waking up each and every morning now and saying, "Can I pay my mortgage? Can I actually afford to keep my house".' Cash added the Coalition's priority is rebuilding trust by addressing cost-of-living pressures and presenting a credible alternative to Labor. Michaelia Cash (pictured) rejected calls for a Liberal Party 'rebrand' amid poor polling  Melissa McIntosh (pictured) said the Liberal Party needed a 'rebrand' after poor polls and that she had been 'inspired' by watching Sky News 'Our role each and every day is to be out there showing the Australian people that they can put their trust in us,' Cash said. 'We have a credible and competent plan to basically protect their way of life and restore their standard of living.' The interview came as the latest Newspoll highlighted the pressure on the Coalition, with Labor rising three points to 33 per cent of the primary vote. One Nation fell two points to 29 per cent, while the Coalition slumped to a record low of 17 per cent. Abo referenced the new data and questioned whether Opposition Leader Angus Taylor could remain. 'This is because you guys simply can't be trusted by the public. Poll after poll, you are nosediving,' she said. 'Is Angus Taylor the next to go? Do you have to roll him to try and get up again?' But Cash rejected this and insisted the Coalition is focused on policy, not leadership drama, and backed her frontbench team heading into the next election. Sarah Abo (pictured) pressed Michaelia Cash over whether the Liberals were cutting through 'There is a long way to go between now and the next election, and we have to put forward a credible and competent plan, which is what we are doing,' Cash said. She pointed to the Coalition's proposed 'tax back guarantee' as evidence of its approach, arguing bracket creep is steadily eroding household incomes. The policy would index tax brackets to inflation, preventing workers from being pushed into higher tax brackets as wages rise. Bracket creep occurs when inflation or cost‑of‑living wage increases lift a person's nominal income into a higher tax bracket, effectively increasing the amount of tax they pay without any real gain in purchasing power. 'Let's get rid of that thief-in-the-night bracket creep and let Australians keep more of what they earn,' she said. She also criticised the government's migration settings and economic management, linking both to worsening housing stress. Other senior Liberals have echoed Cash's resistance to a Liberals rebrand. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said the party should focus on reconnecting with voters and show it has learned from its past. 'We will get on the front foot with that and demonstrate to the Australian people that yes, we understand that we did let you down in the past,' she said on Tuesday. 'But we're prepared to fight tooth and nail for the betterment of this country, because this country absolutely needs it, and we're not going to back down from that fight.' The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.