Howard warns of ‘terrible consequences’ after Coalition split

The former prime minister says he is deeply concerned about the split in the Coalition and urged both the Liberal Party and Nationals to reform quickly.

Former prime minister John Howard. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard says he is deeply concerned about the split in the Coalition and urged both the Liberal Party and Nationals to reform quickly or face “terrible consequences”.

Mr Howard reminded them that in 1996 the Liberal Party won enough seats to govern in its own right but resisted calls from within the Liberal Party then to go it alone, deciding to honour the agreement and keep the Coalition.

“I’m naturally, as a strong Coalitionist, I’m very concerned about today’s developments and I hope the two parties continue to talk to each other, and I hope that Coalition is reformed well before the next election,” Mr Howard told The Australian.

“The best interest of the two parties is served by being in Coalition and they are strongest politically and policy wise when both parties have been together.

“There have always been some policy differences, there is nothing new about that.

“It’s important that the policy differences be resolved or accommodated within the framework of a Coalition.

“If we go our separate ways, those issues will harden and become greater.

“I hope I don’t need to remind followers of both parties of the terrible political consequences of the destruction of the Coalition in 1987 at the hands of the Queensland National Party.

“I’m not likening it to this, but it is a guide to what happened when both parties think they can achieve more separately than together.

“They can’t.”

Mr Howard said in 1996 that the scale of the Liberal victory was so great that it could have governed in its own right.

“A few Liberals wanted to do that and I said no. I said no because I realised that we would need the partnership of the National Party after the following election, and of course we did as we lost a lot of seats in 1998.

“I hope they continue talking and hope they reform a coalition as soon as possible. The idea that it will naturally come back tighter should not be entertained.”