Nationals and Liberals cement Coalition agreement after shock split
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The Nationals and Liberal Party have reached an agreement and will reunite after briefly splitting earlier this month following the Coalition's dire election performance.
The agreement was confirmed following a virtual Nationals party room meeting on Wednesday morning.
While the break up lasted merely days, the threat would have undone the Coalition since the 1987 federal election.
Both Liberal Leader Sussan Ley and Nationals Leader David Littleproud are expected to address the media later on Wednesday to announce the new shadow cabinet.
Fissures between the parties settled after the Liberal Party room agreed 'in principle' to the four policy demands set by the Nationals.
After a brief split the Liberal and Nationals have reunited. Picture: NewsWire
The policy requests centred on lifting the moratorium on nuclear power, a $20bn regional development fund, supermarket divestiture powers and calling on providers to increase coverage for mobile and internet providers.
Ms Ley is expected to announce the shadow cabinet imminently, with the Nationals set to claim six shadow roles and two positions in the outer shadow ministry.
Liberal party members will claim 14 shadow cabinet positions.
Prominent National MPs Matt Canavan and former party leader Barnaby Joyce have both said it is unlikely they will get a shadow portfolio.
While Nationals members have agreed to return to the Coalition, it appears MPs and senators were not asked to agree to cabinet solidarity, which calls on all opposition front benchers to back the party position during votes.
Senator McKenzie confirmed it 'wasn't put to the room'.
'What was put to the party room and what the party room made its decision on was the four policy issues,' she told Seven.
'I was in the room. I know what the room made its decision on and it was the four policies, the mobile connectivity, divestiture of supermarkets, nuclear and obviously the regional futures fund.'
Speaking to Sky while news of the party agreement broke, Nationals MP Colin Boyce remained scathing of Mr Littleproud, claiming the Coalition split shouldn't have happened and was 'based on bad information that was delivered to us by the leadership team'.
Nationals MP Colin Boyce has criticised David Littleproud's position as Nationals Leader. Picture: NewsWire/ Gary Ramage
Mr Boyce said he did not attend Wednesday's party room meeting because he was 'on an aeroplane in transit'.
'David Littleproud is the leader, and if he's not prepared to engage the whole room in respect to all of the conversations that we need to have on the way forward, he'd better start having another look at himself,' he said.
'I think it's very important that that agreement be reached.'
However fellow Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who challenged Mr Littleproud for the Nationals leadership merely a fortnight ago backed in the Maranoa MP's performance.
'I think David's done a great job over the past week. He's delivered results for the Nationals party and the people we represent,' he told Nine on Wednesday.
'I'm happy with the leadership.'
More to come
Originally published as Nationals and Liberals cement Coalition agreement after shock post-election split
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