Inside the Coalition split: Ley and Littleproud’s animus laid bare

It’s a confrontation that’s been building for more than two decades. Sussan Ley has ruffled the Nationals ever since she first walked into parliament in 2001 as the new member for Farrer.

The regional NSW seat was held by beloved Nationals leader Tim Fischer until he resigned and Ley won it for the Liberals. The grievances only built as she became environment minister, which put her at loggerheads with Nationals leader David Littleproud.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley and David Littleproud of the Nationals.Credit: Marija Ercegovac

Now, just a week into her leadership, the Nationals have ripped up the Coalition partnership for the first time in almost 40 years – a decision that was privately questioned or outright opposed by Nationals Barnaby Joyce, Michael McCormack, Darren Chester and Sam Birrell in Tuesday’s fiery party room meeting.

In public, the Nationals named Ley’s refusal to enshrine four of its policy demands as the reason they walked away from higher salaries on a matter of principle. Ley says Littleproud’s refusal to agree to shadow cabinet solidarity – which binds frontbenchers to joint party positions – led negotiations to falter.

Privately, the Nationals’ building discomfort around net zero emissions targets was giving it another reason to leave. A sense of betrayal over the courting of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to the Liberals fired up the party room.

But Littleproud was also ambitious. The Nationals leader had asked to sit in Peter Dutton’s chair and run question time while the opposition leader was away last term. Those requests were rebuffed because under the Coalition’s procedures, that role was reserved for Ley as the deputy Liberal leader.

Littleproud rekindled his demands for an elevated role during talks with Ley during the last week.

Separate from his four policy non-negotiables, Littleproud asked to become deputy opposition leader instead of deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien, according to several sources. Ley rejected the proposal.

A bitter relationship between Ley and Littleproud had developed over years. “The Nats can’t stand her, and the feeling is pretty mutual,” one Liberal source said.

As environment minister in the Morrison government, Ley brawled with Littleproud over the Murray-Darling Basin. In 2018, she drew his ire by advocating to ban live sheep exports.

Their jostling continued under Dutton’s leadership. According to senior MPs who served alongside them, Ley angered the Nationals by arguing internally that Nationals’ $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fund should be used in seats held by regional Liberals, such as herself.

Littleproud and Ley frequently exchanged snide remarks in subcommittees of the shadow cabinet, MPs said. Their bad blood was so well-known that Angus Taylor’s supporters mentioned it to other MPs as one reason to vote against Ley in last week’s leadership contest. Both leaders’ offices were contacted for comment.

The ructions burst into public view after Tuesday’s shock break-up.

The timing of Littleproud’s decision to end the Coalition just days after Ley’s mother had died raised eyebrows. Some Liberal MPs said that was politics – it doesn’t stop, and Ley knows that.

Others were unimpressed. “It was grossly unfair and without necessity. I’d like to get an understanding of what the urgency was, because there was none,” said one Liberal.

“They decided to put her under extreme pressure in the days after her mother passed, and she was laying her to rest. That’s not the behaviour of someone you’re supposed to be partnering with.”

McCormack, the former Nationals leader, also said the decision was made “very, very, quickly”. “I mourn for Sussan’s mother,” he said.

Former Nationals leader Michael McCormack spoke against the decision to split the Coalition.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone

McCormack was one of a handful of Nationals who spoke against the split in the Tuesday virtual party room meeting. He used firm language to voice his views and was backed by Chester and Birrell.

Joyce, one of the most conservative Nationals, also raised concerns about the prospect of Liberals competing with Nationals in electorates in 2028.

But the push for a split prevailed.

Nationals MPs and a few Liberals say Ley could have avoided the blow-up if she simply gave Littleproud a clearer assurance that the four policies, all agreed last term, were locked in.

Others in the Liberal Party think Littleproud’s deputy bid, and request to allow MPs to oppose shadow cabinet positions, suggest he and Victorian senator Bridget McKenzie never truly wanted a new agreement.

One policy that Littleproud did not mention publicly was the Coalition’s pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Attitudes towards climate mitigation have always been a sticking point between regional and city MPs. This has only been exacerbated as country MPs have picked up a backlash towards large renewables projects in pristine rural areas.

Joyce said that was a key motivation.

“In the cities they call them renewables and believe they are a virtue – we don’t, we see them as a curse, and it’s hard to reconcile these two worldviews,” he said.

The net zero split drove rebel Nationals senator Matt Canavan to challenge Littleproud last week.

While Littleproud won the leadership ballot, he remained under internal pressure to create a pressure valve on climate policy.

Net zero was one hypothetical raised when Littleproud asked for a Coalition deal that would allow Nationals to publicly oppose opposition policies, according to sources familiar with the talks.

One senior Liberal said Littleproud’s actions showed he was focused on warding off another challenge from Canavan. “DLP was thinking about winning the next party room ballot, not winning the next election,” they said.

And if grumbling Nationals needed further ammunition, Price’s defection to join Taylor’s Liberal leadership ticket gave it to them.

Littleproud told Ley in private conversations that his party remained furious about Price’s move, the Liberal leader told party MPs during their phone hook-up.

McKenzie was particularly angry, especially as Price’s defection caused Nationals senators to lose party status.

But if retribution was part of the motive, it could come back to bite: Liberals are minded to stop running joint Senate tickets at the next election, which would cost McKenzie her position.

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