Negotiations between the two parties fell at the first hurdle. When parliament resumes, the Liberals will hold all 30 shadow ministries and the Nationals will be on the crossbench.
On Wednesday last week, one day after Sussan Ley was elected as the first female leader of the Liberal Party, Nationals leader David Littleproud drove from Canberra to Albury to start negotiating a new Coalition agreement.
Ley was back home to be with her terminally ill mother, who had just three days to live. Typically, Coalition agreements, which are secret pacts signed after an election or leadership change, focus on the carve-up of positions such as frontbench roles, rather than specific policy demands.
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Phillip Coorey is the political editor based in Canberra. He is a two-time winner of the Paul Lyneham award for press gallery excellence. Connect with Phillip on Facebook and Twitter. Email Phillip at pcoorey@afr.com
