The Nationals have split from the Liberals, marking just the third time the Coalition has broken up in the last 80 years.
Nationals leader David Littleproud revealed talks between the two parties had broken down over disagreements on the support for nuclear power and supermarket divestiture powers on Tuesday morning.
‘Our party room has got to a position where we will not be re-entering a Coalition agreement with the Liberal Party after this election,’ he told reporters.
‘What we have got to a position is that the National Party will sit alone on a principle basis.’
He said that the Nationals ‘remain committed to having the door open’ while the Liberal Party embarked on a ‘journey of rediscovery’.
Littleproud described it as the ‘hardest political decision’ of his life.
‘There is no animosity, no angst, no heat,’ he insisted.
He said that he believed that the new Liberal leader Sussan Ley would help the party ‘reinvent itself’.
Nationals leader David Littleproud (pictured) revealed talks between the two parties had broken down on Tuesday morning
He said that he believed that the new Liberal leader Sussan Ley would help the party ‘reinvent itself’ but said she needed time to work out the party’s future
‘I have faith in her. I actually think it is conceivable she can win the next election,’ he added.
But Littleproud insisted that the Liberal Party needed to decide its policy positions before they could reach a possible agreement in the future.
‘Sussan Ley, I am still there and the door is still open but you need the time and space to know who you are and what you want to be,’ Littleproud added.
The Nationals leader, who saw off a challenge from Senator Matt Canavan last week, said the main sticking points were around nuclear, funding for regional infrastructure and supermarket divestiture powers.
The Nationals support nuclear power, whereas Ley has refused to guarantee the Liberals will continue to support the unpopular policy.
There has been tension between the two former Coalition partners since the humiliating Labor landslide on May 3.
The situation was exacerbated when Senator Jacinta Price defected from the Nationals party room to sit with the Liberal party to run in a joint-ticket for the leadership with Angus Taylor.
After the former shadow treasurer was defeated, Senator Price withdrew her hat from the ring.
Littleproud (pictured) insisted that the Liberal Party needed to decide its policy positions before they could reach a possible agreement in the future
The Coalition has only split three times in the last 100 years, with the last time occurring in 1987 over the ‘Joh for Canberra’ campaign, which pushed for Queensland National Party premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen to become Prime Minister.
Then, the two parties split for a matter of months before the rift healed after the 1987 federal election.
They also split after being defeated in the 1972 federal election but reunited ahead of the next election.
it marks a major win for Anthony Albanese who will effectively be governing against a divided opposition.
More to come.
