Is Josh Frydenberg pulling a move straight out of the Oasis playbook? The former treasurer and deputy Liberal leader is back in the spotlight, bouncing between TV, radio, and podcasts to push his new book, 'A Grateful Son.' While the book covers everything from family history to his thoughts on social cohesion, the real tea is that he’s pointedly refusing to rule out a run to get back into parliament.
The leadership tension
Real talk: this is a nightmare for Angus Taylor. Taylor has been leading the Liberal party for eight months, but the vibes are off. The party’s primary vote hit a record low of 22% in September, and it’s losing ground to both the right-wing fringe and teal independents. Having a high-profile figure like Frydenberg lurking in the background isn't helping Taylor consolidate his grip on the leadership.
Labor is having a field day with it. PM Anthony Albanese jokingly referred to Frydenberg as the "shadow opposition leader" during a caucus meeting, and other Labor sources are calling the whole spectacle "the Fryre festival." It's giving messy, and everyone knows it.
Why it matters
Frydenberg’s pitch includes some spicy policy ideas—like a remix of the GST and new civic service requirements for school leavers—but it’s an open question if he’s the answer to the Liberal party's problems. He was booted from his Kooyong seat in 2022 by teal independent Monique Ryan, and the political landscape hasn't exactly smoothed out since then. While he could theoretically try to pivot the party back toward the center, he’d have to survive a political environment that is currently obsessed with anti-establishment sentiment. For now, he’s just out here creating headlines that the Coalition definitely doesn't need.
