Coalition Crisis Discussions Restart as Nationals and Liberals Exchange Blame for Rift

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The Nationals and Liberals have resumed Coalition agreement talks following a tumultuous 48 hours of shifting blame over their split.

Only two days after the Coalition fractured its 80-year alliance, the two parties appear to be taking their first steps towards reuniting.

Nationals leader David Littleproud announced they had paused frontbench deliberations in “good faith”, while the Liberals consider their four policy demands.

“I’m prepared to pause my announcement today as a sign of good faith,” Littleproud told journalists in Canberra.

“As Sussan [Ley] has made a sign of good faith, of not going forward with a shadow cabinet announcement, and to allow her time to have a party room.”

The Nationals want the following policies embedded in a Coalition agreement:

— lifting the moratorium on nuclear

— divestiture powers to break up the major supermarkets

— $20 billion in regional funding

— reforming telecommunications coverage in the bush.

SBS News understands Liberal leader Sussan Ley initiated crisis talks with Littleproud in her office on Thursday morning after the Nationals stated they were willing to accept shadow cabinet solidarity to broker a deal.

Ley convened a virtual Liberal party room meeting on Thursday to discuss the Nationals’ policy demands, which are central to any reunion.

Another meeting will be held next week. There is hope that an agreement can be reached by the time parliament returns on 22 July.

Ley has welcomed the Nationals’ decision to re-enter negotiations.

“In relation to the policy positions proposed by the National Party room, consistent with my consultation commitment, the Liberal Party will consider these, utilising our party room processes,” Ley said in a statement.

“It has always been the Liberal Party’s objective to form a Coalition and we welcome the Nationals’ decision to re-enter negotiations.”

Conjecture over cabinet solidarity and reason behind the split

The Liberals say the Coalition split was not over policy but a refusal by the Nationals to adhere to shadow cabinet solidarity, allowing the party to vote against the Liberals on policy positions.

While this is allowed on the backbench, traditionally, as per the Westminster system, there is cabinet solidarity on the frontbench.

The Nationals have consistently refuted this claim. During an interview on ABC’s 7.30 show, host Sarah Ferguson questioned Nationals senator Bridget Mackenzie on whether the Liberal leader was being untruthful.

“That was not part of our consideration. It was solely on those four policies,” McKenzie responded on Wednesday night.

The conditions of nuclear energy have also shifted, with the Nationals willing to accept a lift on the nuclear energy moratorium instead of pursuing the seven nuclear reactors agenda that was taken to the federal election.

— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press