Share and Follow
During discussions held last night with Littleproud, Ley expressed her readiness to re-align with the Nationals. However, she stipulated that three senators who defied party lines by voting against hate speech legislation should face a six-month suspension from the shadow cabinet.
The Liberal Party’s proposal further hinges on a commitment that individual party rooms cannot overturn decisions made by the shadow cabinet. This condition arose after Senators Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell, and Susan McDonald went against the party’s stance in the Senate vote.
Littleproud responded by stating that the Nationals plan to carefully evaluate the specifics of Ley’s offer.
“The Nationals are committed to rebuilding the Coalition, but we will not disclose the details of any negotiations through the media,” Littleproud remarked.
“It’s crucial that we take the necessary time to ensure everything is correctly aligned,” he added.
If negotiations between the two embittered parties reach an agreement, the Coalition could re-form this week.
But Littleproud is so far keeping tight-lipped on the future of the alliance, noting his party room “remains focused on the issues that matter to Australians, including protecting our rights and freedoms.”
Members of both parties congregated at St Paul’s Canberra church this morning for a traditional service to mark the beginning of the parliamentary year.
Nationals MPs there seemed to believe that a Hail Mary would be needed to soothe the rift between the parties.
“That’s where we need divine intervention,” LNP MP Scott Buchholz said.
“I’ll be praying for that, that’s exactly what I’ll be praying for,” Nationals MP Michael McCormack said of a Coalition reunion.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.