Sussan Ley to elevate fresh talent after hashing out new Coalition agreement

Liberal leader Sussan Ley will elevate fresh talent into her shadow ministry after she and Nationals leader David Littleproud hashed out the finer points of a new Coalition agreement on Monday.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley will elevate fresh talent into her shadow ministry as she lays the foundations for a rebuild of the party after their election wipe-out and a bruising temporary breakdown of the Coalition.

Ms Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud hashed out the finer points of a new Coalition agreement on Monday afternoon, with both sides expecting a final deal imminently so attention can turn to announcing a new frontbench to take on Labor.

With the Liberals likely locked out of governing for at least another six years, sources familiar with Ms Ley’s plan said the new leader was looking to promote “across the party room” as part of a long-term renewal.

Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Second-term Liberal MPs like Zoe McKenzie and Aaron Violi are among those expected to be given roles, while Queenslander Angie Bell is likely to jump into shadow cabinet.

Ms Ley has had to pare back her frontbench changes after initially planning to reveal an all-Liberal line-up last Thursday due to the Nationals’ split from the Coalition.

Contenders for bolstered positions in the early iteration of the frontbench included moderate NSW Senators Andrew Bragg and Maria Kovacic, as well as Queensland’s Phil Thompson.

The Australian Electoral Commission on Monday announced it would be conducting a partial recount of the Melbourne seat of Goldstein, where Liberal Tim Wilson was marginally ahead of Teal independent MP Zoe Daniel.

Should Mr Wilson prevail, he is expected to receive a shadow position.

Deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien is likely to take on the treasury portfolio, while third-term NSW MP Melissa McIntosh is expected to be given health.

Ms Ley’s leadership rival, Angus Taylor, is potentially in line to receive defence, with Victorian Dan Tehan floated as foreign affairs.

Nationals leader David Littleproud. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

On Monday evening Mr Littleproud indicated a Coalition reunion was likely given the Liberals had acquiesced to Nationals’ request for support of four policies – nuclear energy, supermarket divestiture, mobile coverage in the bush and a $20 billion regional fund.

“That means that there is now really the final negotiations in my party room to accept it before we go back into Coalition,” he said.

“In essence, I’ve got that comfort, personally, on the requirement of those four policies. I’ll present that to the party room, and then, if they’re comfortable, then we will move on as quickly as we can.”

Mr Littleproud said the Nationals “weren’t prepared to blink” on the policies and they “didn’t”.

“We simply said we’re out until these four policies are being rectified,” he said.

“It’s sad we had to force them to do it, but we got it.”

Meanwhile, two of his Nationals’ colleagues – Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan – have railed against the party’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.

Mr Joyce described it as “disastrous”, while Mr Canavan said he expected the Nationals party room to further debate the policy.

Originally published as Sussan Ley to elevate fresh talent after hashing out new Coalition agreement