National Party and Liberals Won’t Form Coalition: Littleproud

Nationals leader David Littleproud has officially announced that the Nationals will not be re-entering a Coalition agreement with the Liberals. This decision comes after a meeting between Littleproud and Liberals leader Sussan Ley to discuss the future of their partnership.

• Littleproud cited several issues that prevented the Nationals from re-entering a Coalition agreement, including concerns about nuclear energy, regional funding, and divestiture powers for supermarkets.
• The Nationals also sought assurances that they would not be bound by Cabinet solidarity on the shadow cabinet, allowing them to vote against Liberal policies if necessary.

Despite the split, Deputy Nationals leader Kevin Hogan emphasized that the party was committed to its principled stance, even if it meant losing shadow ministry positions and resources.

The Nationals’ decision to break away from the Coalition was influenced by their strong performance in the recent federal election, where they retained all their lower house seats.

The Nationals and Liberals first formed a government together in 1949 under Prime Minister Robert Menzies. However, this is not the first time the Coalition has split, with the most recent occurrence in 1987.

Littleproud clarified that the Nationals are not closing the door on a future Coalition, committing to ongoing discussions with Ley about the partnership. He emphasized the importance of representing regional Australia and allowing the Liberals time to define their policy priorities.

If an agreement cannot be reached, Littleproud stated that the Nationals are prepared to contest the next federal election independently.

Q: Why did the Nationals decide to split from the Coalition?

A: The Nationals had concerns about several policy issues and sought greater independence in decision-making within the Coalition.