Key Points
- All Nationals frontbenchers have quit their portfolios in protest against new anti-hate laws.
- The Nationals had planned to support the bill earlier this week before the split.
- The move leaves the Coalition on the brink of its second divorce in eight months.
Nationals leader David Littleproud has confirmed the Coalition has split over new anti-hate laws, saying Opposition leader Sussan Ley forced the Nationals into an "untenable position".
The entire Nationals contingent of the shadow cabinet have sent in their resignation to Ley, in solidarity with the three senior colleagues who quit the Opposition frontbench earlier on Wednesday.
"This was a rushed process," Littleproud told reporters on Thursday morning.
"We are talking about national security matters with complex legislation, complex legislation that should be scrutinised and understood before we're forced to vote on it," he said.
Littleproud said the Nationals "made every effort" to pass the bill, but "we just didn't have that comfort and we ran out of time".
Littleproud's comments follow two waves of Nationals resigning from the shadow cabinet.
"This process wasn't all Sussan Ley's fault. Anthony Albanese put her in this process," he said.
"But it has been mismanaged by Sussan Ley."
Littleproud said that Ley was "aware of the consequences" of forcing the Nationals "into an untenable position".
When asked by reporters if this meant his party was splitting from the Coalition, Littleproud confirmed this was the case.
"Yes. There's no other position ... our party room has made it clear that we cannot be part of a shadow ministry under Sussan Ley," he said.
"We sit by ourselves."
'No permanent changes will be made,' Ley says
The three MPs, Ross Cadell, Bridget McKenzie and Susan McDonald, crossed the floor from the Coalition to oppose the hate speech law that was passed on Tuesday evening, following the Bondi terror attack.
In doing so, the trio breached cabinet solidarity, a principle that requires shadow ministers to all vote the same way.
The Nationals Party held an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening, after Ley accepted their resignations from the shadow cabinet.
In a statement, Nationals MP Pat Conaghan confirmed he has sent his resignation from the positions of shadow minister for finance services and shadow assistant treasurer.
He said he and his Nationals colleagues support the intent of the legislation, but they don't support the rush iteration that has been presented.
The blanket resignations heap even more pressure on Ley, who has been trying to keep the Coalition together since their temporary split after the 2025 federal election.
Ley said in a statement that she has rejected the additional resignations.
"I have received additional offers of resignation from National Party shadow ministers, which I and my Liberal leadership group have determined are unnecessary."
"I note that in David's letter, he has not indicated that the Nationals are leaving the Coalition.
"No permanent changes will be made to the shadow ministry at this time, giving the National Party time to reconsider these offers of resignation."
On Tuesday night, less than 20 minutes before voting began on the legislation, Littleproud said his party had decided to oppose the reforms if amendments protecting free speech were not successful.
McKenzie, Cadell and McDonald then joined their Nationals colleagues in voting against the bill and offered to resign from the front bench on Wednesday.
Littleproud wrote to Ley shortly after warning the entire Nationals shadow ministry would quit if the Opposition leader accepted the trio's resignations.
"As it was a party room decision, if these resignations are accepted, the entire National party ministry will resign to take collective responsibility," he wrote.
Littleproud argued the hate crimes legislation was rushed, creating "unique circumstances" that justified the split between the two Coalition parties.
"These were unique circumstances created by the arrogance and incompetence of the Albanese government's process. The Nationals believe strongly that the Liberal and National Coalition partnership is the best way to remove this Labor Government," he told Ley.
If the Coalition does split — a prospect being canvassed by MPs — it would be the second break-up since the May 2025 federal election.
That week-long split came after the Nationals made a number of policy demands of the Coalition, including a commitment to nuclear power.
Insiders believe a second separation has the potential to last much longer.
— With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.
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