Australia’s Liberal–National Coalition has fractured after a dispute over hate speech laws, raising fresh questions about the future of Liberal leader Sussan Ley. The centre-right alliance, already under strain following a heavy election defeat last year, split over how to respond to government reforms introduced after a deadly terror attack at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach last month that killed 15 people.
Tensions peaked when the Nationals refused to follow a shadow cabinet decision to support the legislation, breaking long-standing Coalition rules. Nationals leader David Littleproud said his party could not continue in a shadow ministry led by Ley.
Our party room has made it clear that we cannot be part of a shadow ministry under Sussan Ley,” Littleproud told reporters on Thursday, which also marked a national day of mourning for the victims of the 14 December attack. He said the situation had become “untenable”.
While Littleproud did not rule out rejoining the Coalition in the future, he suggested it might be beneficial for the two conservative parties to spend time apart. This is the second split in less than a year, following a brief separation in May last year over climate and energy policy that was resolved within days.
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