Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is seeking a more co-operative relationship with big business as she works to take the sharp edges off Nationals’ demands on threats to break up supermarkets, telecommunications in the bush and nuclear power in a new Coalition agreement.

Besieged Nationals leader David Littleproud defended his leadership over flip-flopping on the regional party’s partnership with the Liberals, amid conjecture that he had damaged his reputation by ambushing a grieving Ley with four policy demands.