Australia news live: Bridget McKenzie disputes Liberals' claim on reason for Coalition split; NSW to get more rain and floods
Update:
Date: 2025-05-21T20:28:19.000Z
Title: Welcome
Content: Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I'm Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight stories and then it will be Rafqa Touma to take the wheel.
With 48,000 people already stranded by flooding in the New South Wales Hunter Valley and mid-north coast regions, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe warning for 'prolonged' heavy rainfall that also includes the adjacent areas of Northern Tablelands, Northern Rivers and North West Slopes and Plains. Some areas could cop 300mm over the next 24 hours and there was also a risk of life-threatening flash floods. More coming up.
The reason for the Coalition split remains a point of dispute between the Liberals and the Nationals after Bridget McKenzie claimed last night on the ABC's 7.30 program that Nationals shadow cabinet members' ability to vote against shadow cabinet decisions in the parliament was not part of the Nationals' demands – a claim denied by Liberal leader Sussan Ley's office. More coming up.
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