The long-standing Liberal-National coalition has fractured following a devastating election loss that handed the Labor Party a second consecutive term in power. The coalition, which has served as the primary conservative political force in the country for nearly 80 years, is now officially dissolved.
The announcement was made by Nationals leader David Littleproud on Tuesday, stating his party would not re-enter a coalition agreement with the Liberal Party. He cited fundamental policy disagreements and the need for the Nationals to undertake their own political journey of “rediscovery” as reasons for the split.
“This is one of the hardest political decisions of my life,” Littleproud admitted. “But it’s time we focus on Australians particularly in regional areas and rebuild our vision from the ground up.”
The breakdown follows weeks of tense post-election negotiations. A central source of contention was climate policy. The Nationals remain skeptical of net-zero emissions targets and are pushing for nuclear power stances that proved divisive during the campaign. Disagreements over regional infrastructure investment and measures to improve supermarket competition also widened the rift.
Sussan Ley, newly elected leader of the Liberal Party, expressed disappointment at the Nationals’ decision. “While we respect David and his team, we are saddened by their departure. The Coalition has always been about shared values,” Ley said, adding that the Nationals had insisted on specific policy commitments she could not endorse.
Despite the split, Ley affirmed that the Liberals will remain Australia’s formal opposition party. The Nationals, however, will no longer hold opposition roles and plan to chart an independent course ahead of the next federal election.
The last time the coalition broke apart was in 1987, but it later reunited. Littleproud remains open to reconciliation, saying he hopes the two parties can reunite before the next election. However, he also confirmed that the Nationals are prepared to contest the next vote independently if necessary.
This fracture underscores the growing ideological and strategic differences within Australia’s conservative bloc, especially amid evolving voter demographics and shifting public attitudes on climate and economic issues.
