Coalition promises ‘beautiful’ unity after messy splits
The coalition pledged teamwork and unity after a chaotic year with two divorces and new leaders.
Queensland senator Matt Canavan was named as the new National leader on Wednesday, with Victorian MP Darren Chester promoted to deputy after David Littleproud said he had been “duped” and quit.
The former National Party leader’s departure shocked both party members and supporters of ousted Liberal leader Sussan Ley, after Littleproud split the coalition twice.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor ousted Ms Ley in February, while the new Liberal and National leaders vowed at their first joint press conference to resolve future disputes to avoid another split.
“Matt and I have worked together very successfully for many years and we have a very strong, long-standing relationship and we are both strong coalitionists,” Mr Taylor told reporters at a steelmaker in Canberra on Thursday.
“We’re going to have a wonderful, beautiful relationship as a Liberal-National coalition.”
Mr Canavan said he already had a strong relationship with the Liberal leader but there could be policy differences moving forward.
“It’s an incredibly strong relationship because Angus and I are great friends, really good friends, and we go way back,” he said.
“We have a great National Party team too and sometimes we disagree, but given my great relationship with Angus I am confident we will resolve those disagreements.”
Mr Littleproud, who is disbanding the coalition for the second time since the 2025 federal election, said no one from the National Party could serve in the shadow cabinet under Ms Ley.
He blamed him for the split after accepting the resignations of three National senators who breached shadow cabinet solidarity by voting against the agreed view on hate crime laws in the upper house last month.
While the two leaders were able to mend the rift, the instability ultimately led to Ms Ley’s ouster as opposition leader.
Mr Taylor said cabinet solidarity would be maintained through the usual “processes”.
Successive polls have revealed disastrous results for the coalition, with the political alliance’s primary vote falling to record lows.
One Nation took over the coalition as voters’ second choice, making significant gains in the polls and alarming conservatives that they could face extinction at the next federal election.
The national election risks losing all its seats to Pauline Hanson’s party in regional NSW and Queensland, where polls show it is expected to do particularly well in those states.
National senator Bridget McKenzie admitted winning the Farrer by-election, triggered by Ms Ley’s resignation from parliament, would be a “huge test”.
“We’re all focused on the next by-election, which will be a big test not just for the National Party or the Liberal Party or One Nation, but also for the Labor Party,” he told Sky News.
“When the Prime Minister came to power, he said he would rule everyone.
“It also means we leave the capitals and no longer run candidates, which I think says a lot about Labor’s reflection on the region.”
One of Sussan Ley’s supporters said some Liberal politicians were “in disbelief” at Mr Littleproud’s decision to resign.
“What he did to Susan Ley was appalling and many on the right see his actions as interference in the internal workings of the party,” the MP said.
“Everything is unpleasant.”
The Liberal said there were reservations in the National Party that Mr Littleproud would not adequately take on the One Nation issue.
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