How the ABC became a surprise mediator in the Coalition’s separation

The ABC has copped a lot of flak from the conservative side of politics in the past decade. But 7.30 anchor Sarah Ferguson and breakfast host Bridget Brennan have unwittingly become mediators who helped Nationals leader David Littleproud and Liberal leader Sussan Ley see eye to eye.

The Coalition’s break-up has been downgraded to a break after just 48 hours. If the Liberals and Nationals reunite, they can thank Aunty.

Sussan Ley and David Littleproud in question time in February.Credit: James Brickwood

The healing process began when Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie appeared on 7.30 on Wednesday night to discuss her party room’s decision to leave the Liberals for the first time in almost four decades.

The Nationals, including McKenzie, have been adamant since Tuesday that Ley’s refusal to enshrine four policy demands into the next Coalition agreement gave them impetus to quit the partnership.

Ley’s version of events was that Littleproud made an untenable request to exempt Nationals frontbenchers from shadow cabinet solidarity – effectively allowing them to vote against Coalition policy.

Illustration by Matt Golding

“Are you saying Sussan Ley is not telling the truth when she says one of the key issues was a request from the Nationals that they not be obliged to maintain shadow cabinet solidarity?” Ferguson asked McKenzie.

McKenzie responded: “Sarah, I can tell you because I was in the National party room that made this decision – the decision which was then conveyed to the Liberal leader – and that was not part of our consideration.”

One of Ley’s staffers watching the broadcast decided they wouldn’t have a bar of it. They texted Ferguson. She saw the message once McKenzie’s segment was over. Then she read it aloud.

“As that interview played, we’ve just received a note from Sussan Ley’s office saying it is not correct to suggest that shadow cabinet solidarity was not a sticking point. And they – that is, Sussan Ley’s office – have that in writing,” Ferguson said. “So, obviously more to run on this story.”

By the end of Wednesday night, Ferguson had published a story online. It was leading news bulletins early Thursday.

While former Coalition leader Peter Dutton often derided the ABC, calling it the “hate media” in the dying days of his election campaign, the Nationals don’t take that approach. The broadcaster is an important avenue to reach constituents in the regions. In some towns, it’s the only local media.

So the morning after, Littleproud was fronting the ABC’s breakfast program with Brennan to clear the air. “The only sticking point that we have are the four policy points,” he said.

“The Liberals say you also asked to be able to speak out against shadow cabinet positions,” Brennan said. “Is that true?”

Littleproud said there had been a “range of requests” sent in writing to Ley. “She sent back a response. And her response around cabinet solidarity was satisfactory and reasonable and fair. One that I accepted,” he said.

While Littleproud put the shadow cabinet issue to Ley directly, he did not raise it in the party room, according to several Nationals who attended the meetings. Some MPs were surprised when the prospect was raised by Ley and appeared in media reporting.

It nonetheless became a sticking point for the Liberals.

So when Ley’s office heard Littleproud’s remarks, which were made just after 7am, they interpreted them as the first guarantee the Nationals would concede on that demand. Ley consulted her leadership team, and they decided there were grounds to restart negotiations.

Littleproud said he received a text “out of the blue” just after 9am, inviting him to meet with Ley.

Until that point, both leaders were preparing to go their separate ways, readying to announce their respective shadow frontbench positions on Thursday afternoon.

Littleproud had gone a step further. He called his new frontbenchers – McKenzie, Darren Chester, Pat Conaghan, Anne Webster, Susan McDonald, Ross Cadell, Kevin Hogan and Matt Canavan – on Wednesday afternoon and told them to come to Canberra for the reveal.

They started flying into the capital that night, and continued to arrive on Thursday morning. Former leaders Michael McCormack and Barnaby Joyce were to be relegated to a small backbench.

The Nationals’ “shadow shadow cabinet” had started talking about party procedures for policymaking. Canavan, set to be treasury spokesman, started planning private members’ bills to be raised when parliament resumed, alongside McDonald, who was lined up for the finance portfolio.

But while Littleproud was rousing his troops, Ley was making last-ditch calls to the Nationals’ dissenters. She phoned Joyce, McCormack and Chester – whom this masthead reported had spoken against the Coalition split during party room meetings – in an attempt to patch things over.

Then on Thursday morning, she reached out to the man himself. In a half-hour meeting, Ley asked for time to consult her party room on the Nationals’ four policy requests. In return, she would pause the announcement of her own shadow ministry.

Littleproud agreed. He told his yet-to-be-unveiled frontbenchers to go back home.

Flanked by McKenzie and Hogan, Littleproud strode without warning into the Parliament House press gallery at 12.15pm and announced that negotiations on the Coalition agreement would resume. He said he would give Ley and the Liberals time to consider the Nationals’ ultimatum “out of good faith”. And he wouldn’t force their timing, either.

It was a stunning about-face that Littleproud framed as a triumph. “The fact that the Liberal Party room is now prepared to have that conversation, I think speaks volumes,” he said.

But several Nationals MPs were circumspect. They saw it as a convenient way to back down. “It got too hot in the kitchen for him and he needed to find a way out,” one said.

Nationals MPs were back on the ABC later on Thursday to mop up the events. Joyce, streaming in live to the afternoon briefing program, was asked: “Barnaby, in a word, how would you describe the past 48 hours and the Nationals decision to leave the Coalition?”

“Could have been better,” was his reply.

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