Rival leaders hold fire on cementing coalition break-up
The Liberals and Nationals remain locked in a tense standoff nearly a week after their dramatic split, as leaders of both parties refrained from naming new shadow ministries that would make the divorce more permanent.
Conservative challengers are circling Opposition Leader Sussan Ley following the political breakup, and supporters of rival Liberal leadership candidate Andrew Hastie claim they have the numbers to fight for the top job; This proposal is hotly debated by Ms Ley’s supporters.
The National Party’s departure from the coalition means Ms Ley must reallocate portfolios held by the regional party, including key areas such as trade, agriculture, resources and emergency management.
Multiple Liberal sources told AAP on Tuesday that Ms Ley had not yet offered any of the National Party’s former jobs to the Liberal team, but insiders were divided as to why.
Two Liberal politicians said they held out hope their leader would return to the National Party.
Members of both parties believe naming separate frontbenchers would strengthen already bitter divisions.
“I still think he’s hoping the Nats will come back and (appointing new portfolios) isn’t something he needs to do yet,” one senior Liberal said.
But another source believed Ms Ley, who may face a leadership challenge next week, hoped to strengthen her support base by trading portfolios for votes.
National teams will also need to name their own front row as they compete on their own in parliament.
However, two sources from the regional party said there were no discussions about splitting the shadow ministries.
The split between the Liberals and Nationals was triggered by disagreement over new hate crime reforms; The Liberals voted for the controversial legislation, while the Nationals voted against it, citing concerns about free speech.
During the ugly saga, all of the regional party’s shadow ministers resigned from Ms Ley’s front bench and National Party leader David Littleproud declared that the once-strong coalition was no more.
The series of events, which saw Conservative Liberals Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie believed to be campaigning to gain votes, destabilized Ms Ley’s leadership.
MPs are mostly holding their fire as a memorial service for the late Victorian Liberal MP Katie Allen will be held on Thursday.
Dr Allen, who was a doctor before entering federal parliament, died in late 2025 from a rare form of cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma.
Mr. Hastie’s camp has indicated that the leadership contest will likely heat up on Thursday afternoon after the ceremony is completed.
While Mr Hastie’s supporters insist they have the numbers to fight the challenge, the claim is disputed by moderates who believe Ms Ley’s leadership is secure for now.
A moderate source also claimed that neither Mr Hastie’s supporters nor Mr Taylor had reached out to the group to ask for support.
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