The Liberals' freshly minted leaders have again been confronted with their party's women problem as they try to shift the political conversation to cutting taxes and migrant numbers.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor and deputy Jane Hume on Sunday used a visit to southwest Sydney - a fast-growing suburban region that all-but abandoned the Liberals at the May election - to continue their vow to lower taxes, increase housing and weed out those who "reject our way of life".
"Owning a home is an essential part of the Australian dream," Mr Taylor said from Oran Park, in the Labor-held seat of Macarthur.
"But to have more Australians being able to own more homes … we need more supply.
The former shadow treasurer, who opposed a Labor income tax cut at the last poll, was quick to set up a potential fight with the government over mooted changes to the levy on property-related capital gains.
"If you want more homes to be built, you don't impose a tax on something," Mr Taylor said.
The opposition leader was also vocal on a more hardline immigration policy, saying "the door should be shut" on people who "don't accept our way of life, who are against democracy, who are against our rule of law".
"The truth of immigration in this country is the numbers have been too high, the standards have been too low," Mr Taylor said, although he did not detail what changes the coalition would propose.
The Hume MP, who toppled Sussan Ley in a partyroom ballot on Friday, has spent the weekend laying out his "fresh direction" for the embattled party as it bleeds votes to the anti-immigration One Nation.
But the leaders were also forced to answer questions about the party's inability to attract women voters and representatives after turfing out its first female leader just nine months into her tenure.
Charlotte Mortlock, a former coalition staffer and founder of a key Liberal women's network, announced her resignation from the party on Sunday, citing "recent events".
She founded Hilma's Network in 2021 to advocate for bringing "Liberal-minded" women together and push for the higher pre-selection of female candidates.
She worked on the proposal to have gender quotas in the party, which was recently dumped by its NSW branch.
"I have decided there are other ways I can support women and Australia," Ms Mortlock said in a statement.
"I have decided the time has come for me to step down as executive director of Hilma's Network and I have also relinquished my Liberal Party membership."
Ms Hume said she was disappointed to hear of Ms Mortlock's resignation.
"We want to see more women in the party, but most importantly, we want to see women right around the country ... reflected in the policy positions that united the Liberal Party," she said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Liberals "just don't seem to get it" when it came to gender equity in parliament.
"I think people in the Liberal party will despair that Sussan Ley … wasn't even given the opportunity to give one budget reply speech," he said.
"We want a parliament that looks like Australia."
Ms Ley plans to resign from parliament after Mr Taylor toppled her, winning 34 votes to 17 in a ballot.
A by-election will be needed to choose a new MP for Farrer in what looms as a significant early test for the new leader.
He will need to prove he can stave off challenges from independents and One Nation, which has been polling above the coalition in recent weeks.
Mr Taylor is also expected to announce his reworked front bench in the coming days, signalling his support for exiled conservatives Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price as the Liberals shift to the right.
"They're magnificent members of our team," he said.
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