Nats right to oppose Labor’s hate laws, but Ley must sack them

Sussan Ley will have to fire National Team standouts Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald. Otherwise, the opposition leader will send a loud and clear signal that his leadership, which has never been in poor health since the moment he took office, is fundamentally damaged.

It’s a basic rule of politics that coalition supporters can vote as they please, but if you’re in a ministerial or shadow ministry you toe the line. McKenzie, Cadell and McDonald voted against the government’s hate speech laws yesterday despite being in the shadow cabinet that agreed to support the laws with amendments agreed to by the government.