Nats resignations rejected as coalition hangs by thread
The coalition between the Liberals and Nationals descended into ugly infighting after the regional party’s leading figures tendered their mass resignations, only to be rejected by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.
Following the departure of three senior citizens from their portfolios over a divide over hate crime laws, the party’s remaining frontliners staged a mass strike in solidarity.
But in a sensational twist late on Wednesday night, Ms Ley rejected the “unnecessary” resignations.
“There will be no permanent change to the shadow ministry at this time, which will give the National Party time to reconsider these offers of resignation,” he said in a statement.
Citizens who proposed to leave would give up their portfolios but remain in the party as laggards.
The extraordinary row between the two coalition partners was triggered by a disagreement over the government’s anti-hate laws drafted in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack.
The coalition’s shadow cabinet agreed to support the bill at a meeting on Sunday, but two days later the National Party announced they would oppose the bill due to concerns about its impact on freedom of expression.
Three National candidates who voted against the legislation – Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald – resigned their portfolios on Wednesday for breaching cabinet solidarity, a principle that requires shadow ministers to all vote the same way.
National Leader David Littleproud wrote to Ms Ley the same day, warning that if she accepted the trio’s resignation, all remaining shadow ministers in her party would resign.
“As this is a party room decision, if these resignations are accepted the entire National Party ministry will resign to take collective responsibility,” he wrote.
In an emergency meeting on Wednesday night, front-row players from the remaining eight Nationals decided to quit their portfolios in protest.
The move brought the coalition to the brink of its second divorce in eight months.
Ms Ley said she “strongly encouraged” Mr Littleproud not to leave the partnership.
“I would like to point out that David did not state in his letter that the National Party was leaving the Coalition,” he said.
But Ms Ley’s Nationals colleagues are far less optimistic about the future of the political partnership.
“How can we stay in the coalition and remain unemployed?” A senior National told AAP.
If the Liberals and National Party formally split, it would be the second split since the federal election in May 2025.
This temporary divorce was triggered by a series of demands made by the regional party, including a continued commitment to nuclear energy and the introduction of forced divestment powers for the supermarket sector.
The two parties met again a week later, but insiders believe the next split has the potential to last much longer.
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