New Coalition agreement to be inked in ‘coming couple of days’, Littleproud says

Just days after announcing the Nationals were breaking up with the Liberal Party and laying bare deep tensions between the two, David Littleproud has made a bold prediction.

A new Coalition agreement will be inked in the “coming couple of days”, David Littleproud says.

The Nationals leader earlier this week announced his party was breaking up with the Liberal Party, marking the only the fourth breach in the Coalition’s 79-year history.

But days later, both Mr Littleproud and Sussan Ley confirmed the shock split was on pause following last-minute concessions from the Liberal leader.

Mr Littleproud said on Sunday he had “received the written response and confirmation that the Liberal Party is prepared to accept the four policy areas that were the reason we couldn’t sign up to that coalition”.

Nationals leader David Littleproud says he and Liberal counterpart Sussan Ley will ink a new Coalition agreement in the ‘coming couple of days’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“They were important to us,” he told Sky News.

“They were policy areas that people before I even got into the National Party party room had fought for and could see would change the lives of the people we represent.

“And we made great progress in the last term of parliament, and I wanted to make sure that they they remained, and we couldn’t get that guarantee.”

The four policies the Nationals would not budge on in negotiations included divestiture powers for supermarkets, nuclear power, its proposed $20bn regional Australia fund and greater telecommunications coverage.

It clashed with Ms Ley’s vision of a “nothing adopted and nothing abandoned” approach to reviewing policies in the wake of the Coalition’s decimation at the federal election.

Mr Littleproud said the would be “further discussions with Susan (Ley)” in the coming week but welcomed that “the Liberal Party were able to finally appreciate” how important the policy demands were to the Nationals.

“Unfortunately, it was after we had to give the ultimate decision from our party room,” he said.

He added it was not a decision “we took lightly”, but “one that came with much sacrifice from many of our people, knowing that they weren’t going to get paid Shadow Cabinet positions and potentially lose their Senate spots”.

“But we took a principled position, and we’re appreciative that the Liberal Party party room was finally brought together to appreciate that, and we got a resolution,” Mr Littleproud said.

“I think that shows great intent from the Liberal Party.”

More to come.

Originally published as New Coalition agreement to be inked in ‘coming couple of days’, Littleproud says