Angus Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Angus Taylor
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Official portrait, 2018
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| Leader of the Opposition | |
| Assumed office 13 February 2026 |
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| Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese |
| Deputy | Jane Hume |
| Preceded by | Sussan Ley |
| 17th Leader of the Liberal Party | |
| Assumed office 13 February 2026 |
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| Deputy | Jane Hume |
| Preceded by | Sussan Ley |
| Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction | |
| In office 28 August 2018 – 23 May 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Josh Frydenberg (Environment and Energy) |
| Succeeded by | Chris Bowen (Climate Change and Energy) Ed Husic (Industry and Science) |
| Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity | |
| In office 20 December 2017 – 23 August 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull |
| Minister | Peter Dutton Scott Morrison (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation | |
| In office 18 February 2016 – 20 December 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Michael Keenan |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Hume |
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| Assumed office 7 September 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Alby Schultz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 September 1966 Nimmitabel, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Other political affiliations |
Coalition |
| Spouse | Louise Clegg |
| Children | 4 |
| Residences | Goulburn, New South Wales |
| Education | The King's School, Parramatta |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney New College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Politician |
Angus James Taylor (born 30 September 1966) is an Australian politician. He became the Leader of the Opposition and the leader of the Liberal Party on 13 February 2026. He has been a member of parliament (MP) for the area of Hume in New South Wales since 2013. Before his current role, Taylor held important jobs as a minister in the Australian government.
Angus Taylor grew up on a farm in rural New South Wales. He studied at the University of Sydney and then at New College, Oxford in England as a special scholarship student called a Rhodes Scholar. Before becoming a politician, he worked as a business consultant and was involved in farming businesses. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2013. He served as an assistant minister and later as a full minister in charge of areas like law enforcement, cybersecurity, industry, and energy.
In 2025, after an election, he ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party but did not win. However, in February 2026, he successfully challenged the previous leader, Sussan Ley. He then became the leader of the Liberal Party and the Leader of the Opposition.
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About Angus Taylor's Life and Learning
Angus Taylor was born to Anne and Peter Taylor. He and his three brothers grew up on their family farm called Bobingah. This farm, where they raised sheep and cattle, was in the beautiful foothills of the Australian Alps in New South Wales. His family has a diverse background, including some Jewish heritage from his grandmother.
Angus's father was a sheep farmer, continuing a family tradition of four generations. His mother's father was a famous engineer named Sir William Hudson. Sadly, Angus's mother passed away from cancer when she was 48. Around that time, the family also faced financial difficulties because of a drought that affected wool and beef prices. His father later became a leader for farmers in New South Wales and across Australia.
Angus went to primary school in Nimmitabel. For high school, he attended The King's School, Parramatta. After high school, he studied at the University of Sydney, where he earned degrees in Economics and Law.
He then received a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which allowed him to study Economics at New College, Oxford in England. During his studies, he learned about many important economic thinkers. He also became interested in game theory, which is about how people make decisions when they interact with others.
Angus Taylor's Early Career
Before entering politics, Angus Taylor worked as a management consultant. He also helped start several farming businesses with his brothers and other partners. One of these businesses was called Growth Farms.
In 1994, Angus joined a global consulting firm called McKinsey & Co. His work took him to different countries like Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. In New Zealand, he helped dairy farmers create new business plans. He became a partner at McKinsey in 1999.
Around this time, he also developed an online farming business called Farmshed. Although it had support from other companies, this online business did not succeed.
Later, Angus became a director at Port Jackson Partners, another Australian consulting firm. He was part of a group that looked into developing a coal seam gas industry in Victoria. This group suggested that Victoria should encourage more gas production. He also worked with Rabobank to help train leading farmers in Australia and New Zealand.
Starting Agribusinesses
After his consulting work, Angus Taylor started several businesses with his family and other investors. These businesses were mainly focused on irrigation and agriculture. Some of these businesses were sold when he became a Member of Parliament. Others are still partly owned by his family's company, Gufee Pty Ltd.
One company he co-founded was Eastern Australia Irrigation (EAI). He was a director there from 2007 to 2012. He was also involved with its parent company, Eastern Australia Agriculture (EAA).
Another venture was Farm Partnerships Australia, which leased farms. By 2015, it managed many properties across different states in Australia.
Growth Farms was a farming business Angus started with his oldest brother, Richard, in 1999. The company manages various properties, including some in Queensland and on Kangaroo Island. It also manages the old Taylor family farm, "Bobingah."
JRAT International was a company set up for consulting projects in the early 2000s. However, this company never actually started business operations.
Angus Taylor's Political Journey
| Angus Taylor
results in Hume |
2013 | 2016 | 2019 | 2022 | 2025 |
| 1st preference % | 53.97 | 53.83 | 50.30 | 43.12 | 43.85 |
| 2-party-preferred % | 61.47 | 60.18 | 62.99 | 57.72 | 58.06 |
Angus Taylor first became interested in politics after returning from Oxford. He joined the Liberal Party when he was 26. He worked as a volunteer for Barry O'Farrell, who was a state politician at the time. O'Farrell advised him to gain career experience before entering politics.
About twenty years later, former Prime Minister John Howard encouraged Taylor to run for Parliament. In 2011, Taylor moved his family to a farm near Goulburn in the Southern Tablelands. He enrolled his children in local schools.
When the local MP, Alby Schultz, decided to retire, Taylor sought to become the Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Hume. He won the party's endorsement. In the 2013 federal election, Taylor was elected as the Member for Hume. He joined the government benches under Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Early in his parliamentary career, Taylor called for changes to Australia's Renewable energy target. He suggested that some renewable energy projects, like wind farms, were increasing electricity costs. He proposed using natural gas as a way to reduce carbon emissions more affordably. He also expressed strong views on the topic of wind power. He stated that he was not a climate skeptic and believed in reducing emissions, just like his grandfather, Sir William Hudson, who was involved in the Snowy Scheme, a major renewable energy project.
Early Parliamentary Roles
Angus Taylor served on parliamentary committees focused on employment, trade, and public accounts. In these roles, he argued against increasing government debt. He believed that Australia's prosperity comes from high wages, low inequality, and increased productivity.
A big concern for people in his area was mobile phone black spots. Taylor worked to fix this issue. By 2015, funding was secured for new mobile phone towers in his region.
In September 2015, Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister. In February 2016, Taylor was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation. In this role, he helped ensure that government services used a single digital profile for citizens. This made it easier for people to access services like myGov.
2016 Federal Election
In the 2016 federal election, the Turnbull government was re-elected. Angus Taylor kept his seat in Hume, even though the boundaries of his electorate changed. He won with a strong majority of votes.
Ministerial Roles
After the 2016 election, Taylor became the Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity. In this role, he helped create a new position to coordinate efforts against serious organized crime. This was aimed at strengthening national efforts to fight crime.
On 28 August 2018, Taylor was sworn in as Minister for Energy. He stated that his main focus would be on reducing electricity prices for Australians. He emphasized that his priority was "price, price, price."
After a change in leadership within the Liberal Party in August 2018, Scott Morrison became Prime Minister. Taylor was re-appointed as Minister for Energy. Prime Minister Morrison described his role as "Minister for reducing electricity prices."
2019 Federal Election
Leading up to the 2019 federal election, Taylor focused on reducing energy costs. He announced plans to limit the prices that energy retailers could charge. He also proposed government support for power projects to help achieve lower wholesale prices. Locally, Taylor highlighted his work on job growth and infrastructure. He was re-elected with an increased majority, and the Morrison government was returned to power. Taylor then joined the Second Morrison Ministry.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
On 29 May 2019, Taylor was sworn in as Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. He continued to focus on energy prices. He also supported laws that would encourage energy companies to reduce their prices.
During the COVID-19 recession, Taylor announced the creation of a National Oil Reserve. This involved purchasing oil for Australia, which would be stored in the United States. This decision was made to help secure Australia's fuel supply.
Shadow Minister (2022–2026)
After the Coalition lost the 2022 election, Angus Taylor became the shadow treasurer in the shadow ministry led by Peter Dutton. He was re-elected in the 2025 election. Following Peter Dutton's defeat, Taylor ran for the Liberal leadership election but lost to Sussan Ley.
On 28 May 2025, Taylor was appointed as the shadow minister for defence in Ley's shadow ministry. On 11 February 2026, he resigned from this role. The next day, 12 February, he announced his candidacy for the leader of the Liberal Party. He successfully challenged Sussan Ley in a leadership vote, winning 34 votes to Ley's 17.
Leader of the Opposition (2026–present)
Upon being elected as the leader of the Liberal Party and the Leader of the Opposition on 13 February 2026, Angus Taylor announced his top priority would be immigration. He called for an immigration policy that "puts the interests of Australians first."
In his first speech as party leader, Taylor also spoke about reducing inflation, interest rates, and taxes. He also expressed his views on "net-zero ideology" and "Labor's carbon taxes." As of 14 February 2026, he has not yet announced the members of his new shadow cabinet.
Angus Taylor's Publications
Angus Taylor has written reports for the ANZ Bank Insight series. One report, Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, looked at opportunities for Australia's commodity exporters. Another, Greener Pastures, discussed the growing importance of "soft commodities" like agricultural products. He also wrote about improving freight transport and critiqued government spending on projects like the National Broadband Network.
In 2013, he authored a report suggesting ways to reduce electricity costs for Australians. This report proposed changes to renewable energy targets to save money.
Taylor was also part of a group that investigated developing a coal seam gas industry in Victoria. Their report in November 2013 suggested that Victoria should encourage more gas production within the state.
Angus Taylor's Personal Life
Angus Taylor is an amateur triathlete. He competed for Australia in the 2009 ITU Triathlon Age Group World Championship on the Gold Coast, finishing 36th.
He lives on a farm near Goulburn with his wife, Louise Clegg, who is a barrister, and their four children.
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