Hogan defends Littleproud’s leadership and judgment

Nationals leader David Littleproud did not tell his own colleagues about his demand that Sussan Ley dump the decades-old principle of shadow cabinet solidarity, deputy leader Kevin Hogan has revealed.

Hogan has declared that, after a damaging week that has left some in the Nationals questioning Littleproud’s judgment and even his future as party leader, Littleproud should “absolutely” remain as leader.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud with deputy leader Kevin Hogan and Senate leader Bridget McKenzie on Tuesday.Credit: AAP

Shadow cabinet solidarity, like cabinet solidarity, binds frontbenchers to support a party’s policy decision once it has been adopted and is an important tenet of the Westminster system of cabinet government.

Dumping the principle is a near-impossible demand and one immediately rejected by Ley during tense negotiations that contributed to a temporary split between the two coalition parties after 38 years last week.

Both parties in the federal opposition are working through who will be part of opposition leader Sussan Ley’s first shadow ministerial line-up in a reformed Coalition, with negotiations to heal the rift set to continue this week.

Hogan told the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday that Littleproud had not raised the possible end to shadow cabinet solidarity “because it wasn’t a non-negotiable”.

“David brought that up in one of his conversations with Sussan. She said that would be unacceptable. David said “fine, that’s not a non-negotiable,” Hogan said.

Hogan said the Nationals leader had made the request to avoid a repeat of what happened in the last parliament when the junior Coalition partner announced it would campaign against the Voice to parliament close to six months before the Liberals officially adopted a position, a point that Littleproud made several days ago.

Asked by Insiders host David Speers if dropping the principle of solidarity was a strange way to run a shadow cabinet, Hogan conceded: “I can see that point of view”.

The Nationals’ initial, publicly stated reasons for the split were Ley’s unwillingness to immediately sign up to retaining four non-negotiable policies – support for nuclear power, laws that could force supermarket divestiture, improved regional mobile phone coverage and a billion-dollar regional fund – which the Liberals have now backed in principle.

Ley returned to the negotiating table once Littleproud dropped the demand for an end to shadow cabinet solidarity.

Hogan defended Littleproud’s leadership and handling of negotiations over the past week following reports that former party leader Barnaby Joyce was backing fellow former leader and one-time rival Michael McCormack to return as party leader.

“This is a hypothetical that is not on the cards. David has followed a process with permission of the room. He got approval to do all of this ... [he] has delivered the result, the four policy results that are very important to us in regional Australia.”

Hogan also played down the prospect of further ructions within the Coalition over Australia’s commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, a policy position some Nationals such as Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan have publicly questioned.

The questions over net zero had been “settled years ago”, Hogan said. “The policy is as is. The policy is as we took to the election.”

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