Rival leaders dig in as clock ticks on coalition deal
Dominic Giannini |
The ball is in Sussan Ley’s court as she mulls the Nationals’ counteroffer to restore the coalition.
But the disunity is expected to continue as the Liberal leader presses ahead with plans to name a new leadership team.
The Nationals have offered for all their former shadow ministers to remain benched for a fortnight before rejoining the political marriage.
They would have been forced to spend six months on the back bench for breaking shadow cabinet solidarity under the reunion offer previously put forward by Ms Ley.
The furore began in mid-January when Nationals senators Ross Cadell, Susan McDonald and Bridget McKenzie voted against hate speech legislation, which shadow cabinet had agreed to support.
All three offered their resignations and Ms Ley accepted them, prompting the coalition collapse.
Mr Littleproud said his shadow ministerial colleagues would have voted against the legislation in the lower house rather than abstain had it not been for timing, as amendments were being worked up.
He maintains the senators didn’t break solidarity as the legislation that came before the Senate was significantly amended from what was agreed in cabinet and that a formal position wasn’t adopted by a joint party room meeting.
The Liberal leader is unlikely to accept the Nationals’ counteroffer as she believes it is a stalling tactic to prolong coalition negotiations.
Ms Ley had given the Nationals a deadline of Sunday to come to the table before announcing Liberal replacements for her shadow cabinet and ministry, while Mr Littleproud has said he won’t be held to any arbitrary deadline.
This could entrench the split for longer as it becomes harder to sack colleagues who have been given a significant pay bump and extra staff to handle their portfolios.
It also complicates the political calculus as Liberal frontbencher Angus Taylor plots a leadership coup against the party’s first female leader, with some of his supporters predicting a challenge as early as the coming week.
With only a handful of votes separating the pair, Ms Ley can shore up support by promoting swinging backbenchers, rather than wait for the Nationals to come to the table.
Mr Littleproud has an acrimonious relationship with Ms Ley going back years, and has openly questioned her leadership.
Delaying negotiations and therefore stalling the naming of more Liberal frontbenchers could ultimately help decide the Liberal leadership in Mr Taylor’s favour by taking a card out of Ms Ley’s deck.
The Nationals walking out has left the former coalition’s senate estimates tactics in disarray as Liberals have portfolios dropped on their desks just days before being expected to question public servants over shortcomings.
Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said the only way to stave off populist, right-wing parties like One Nation – which is surging in the polls off the back of coalition disunity – was by coming up with credible policies that address people’s grievances.
This included bread and butter issues like housing affordability, health, education and infrastructure, he said.
“If people despair that the traditional parties are not able to fix it, they’ll say, ‘what do I have to lose?'” he said in Sydney.
AAP
