Sussan Ley spruiks ‘very friendly’ talks with David Littleproud amid Coalition tensions

Liberals leader Sussan Ley and her Nationals counterpart David Littleproud have had their first meeting amid serious doubt over the Coalition’s future.

Sussan Ley says she has had a “very convivial, very friendly” first meeting with David Littleproud as the Liberals and Nationals look to rebuild their relationship after the Coalition’s crushing federal election defeat.

Relations between the parties have been under severe strain since May 3 when the Nationals held their lower house seats while the Liberal vote collapsed.

The Opposition Leader said on Thursday Mr Littleproud travelled to Albury for the meeting, where Ms Ley’s mother is in end of life care.

Sussan Ley has been elected the Liberal Party’s first female leader. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Nationals leader David Littleproud is expected to push for more power in the Coalition. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Can I say that I met with David Littleproud here in my office in Albury this morning, and I

want to thank David for making the trip to Albury to meet with me out of respect for my

personal circumstances,” she told reporters.

“It was a productive and respectful meeting. It was the first, but it won’t be the last and I look forward to those ongoing discussions.”

Pressed on what exactly was discussed, Ms Ley remained tight-lipped.

“There were productive conversations about a range of matters, but very, very convivial, very

friendly, and obviously, as I will always say, matters that the Nationals discuss in their party

room are for them and matters that the Liberal Party discuss in our party room are for us,” she said.

Ahead of the meeting, Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie warned that the Coalition “shouldn’t be taken for granted”, saying an agreement with the Liberal Party had to be “mutually beneficial”.

“It’s a very successful partnership over a long period of time but it shouldn’t be taken for granted,” she told Nine’s Today.

“It needs to be an agreement that is mutually beneficial to both parties and actually reflects the reality of the election result, where the National Party proportionately did incredibly well.”

She said the National Party had not had “this amount of political clout within the Coalition since the ’70s” and that the Nationals wanted not “just a number of portfolios” – suggesting they might vie for more senior shadow ministry spots – but a change in how the “Coalition operates”.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie says the Coalition ‘shouldn’t be taken for granted’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“My leader is going to have a discussion with the Liberal Party leader today,” Senator McKenzie said.

“We don’t need to rush into an agreement, but we do need to make sure it reflects the realities of the election result, which does give greater kudos and say to the National Party within that.”

It was revealed in the election post-mortem that the Liberals did not consult their National Party colleagues on key policies before announcing them.

The Nationals have also blamed the senior Coalition partner for costing them their former deputy leader, Perin Davey.

Senator Davey ran on a joint Liberal ticket that dragged down her vote.

But Jacinta Nampijinpa Price defecting to the Liberal party room last week pushed tensions to the brink.

‘Right leader’

Meanwhile, Andrew Hastie has called Ms Ley the “right leader” for the Liberal Party and urged his colleagues to rally behind her.

Mr Hastie, who was opposition defence spokesman under Peter Dutton, was originally tipped to be a leadership contender but ruled himself out ahead of the vote.

He said Ms Ley and newly elected deputy leader Ted O’Brien had his support.

“They’ve got a big job ahead and if we don’t get our act together as a party, we’re going to face an even more challenging election in three years’ time,” Mr Hastie told Sky News.

“She will last the full term. She’s been elected to get us to the next election and we’re supporting her in that endeavour.”

Regarding where he might land in a shadow cabinet, he said he was “happy to serve wherever the leader asks me to serve”.