Updated ,first published
David Littleproud may have easily survived a leadership challenge from backbench Queensland MP Colin Boyce, but the stand-off between the warring Liberals and Nationals is far from over – even though MPs from both sides say they really want to reunite.
Without a hint of irony, Liberals including Jane Hume, Maria Kovacic, Dave Sharma and Andrew Bragg and former Nationals leader Michael McCormack urged both Coalition parties to stop talking about themselves and focus on issues that matter to voters, such as the rising cost of living.
The meeting of the Nationals, which started at 2pm and lasted for a couple of hours, left even some participants flummoxed, with one MP telling this masthead afterwards that “the vote to spill was not adopted, we had a discussion about whether to reform [the Coalition with the Liberal Party] and that’s it. It was bizarre. I wasted two hours of my life”.
There was a crack of light by the end of the day, with Sussan Ley and Littleproud – who clearly struggle to work together – agreeing to meet at 6pm on Monday evening to try to bring the two parties together after a second split in nine months. But then they just agreed to keep talking. No real breakthroughs.
But at least some of the problems that drove the split between the parties remain. As long as Ley and Littleproud remain leaders of their respective parties, it’s hard to see a permanent solution.
Ley’s camp argues that she cannot accept a return into the shadow cabinet of Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald, the three Nationals frontbenchers who crossed the floor, broke shadow cabinet solidarity and voted against the government’s hate speech laws two weeks ago.
Were the Liberal leader to accept those three rogue senators back into the shadow cabinet, it could further weaken her leadership at a time when she is already being stalked by ambitious conservatives, who want to see defence spokesman Angus Taylor take her place.
“I don’t think it’s the best thing for her [Ley] to let the Nats back into shadow cabinet,” a source familiar with Ley’s thinking said.
“The Moderates and those in the middle are seriously pissed off with the Nationals, and letting them back in would show weakness, just as the Right are looking for every opportunity to peel away support from Sussan.
“For each of them [Littleproud and Ley], it’s high stakes – it’s about the other’s leadership now.”
Nationals’ powerbroker Matt Canavan, speaking to the ABC after the meeting, laid out the Nationals’ position succinctly – the party had to be able to choose who it wanted in the ministry.
“If they’re not welcome [McDonald, McKenzie and Cadell], none of us are welcome.”
In other words, the Nationals don’t get a say over who the Liberals put in shadow cabinet, and the same applies in reverse.
On Monday morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese compared the saga to an episode of Married at First Sight while Bragg, the Liberal senator, suggested the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives.
Whichever drama you prefer, it remains unclear if it is even possible for the parties to reunite long term under the two current leaders.
In the meantime, the Albanese government is not being held to account.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.
James Massola is chief political commentator. He was previously national affairs editor and South-East Asia correspondent. He has won Quill and Kennedy awards and been a Walkley finalist. Connect securely on Signal @jamesmassola.01Connect via X or email.
