Sussan Ley and David Littleproud have signalled the fractured opposition Coalition could reform in time for the resumption of parliament in July, pausing plans to name their frontbench lineups to give the Liberals more time to consider Nationals policy demands.
The two leaders held direct talks on Thursday morning, less than 48 hours after the first split between the parties since the late 1980s. But Littleproud insisted any reconciliation was still contingent on the four key demands. They include the introduction of nuclear power, break up powers for the supermarkets, a $20bn regional fund and improved regional telecommunications guarantees.
After being elected opposition leader, Ley had committed to a full policy review by the Liberals, so could not meet the Nationals’ demands. She also promised not to make “captain’s calls” as leader.
In a sign a return to a formal coalition could be possible in the short term, Littleproud confirmed lifting the Howard-era moratorium on nuclear power would be enough to satisfy the Nationals on energy policy, rather than full implementation of Peter Dutton’s plan for seven nuclear reactors, owned and operated by the government.
In a hastily convened press conference in the halls of Parliament House, Littleproud was asked how long talks could continue. He suggested the dispute be settled before parliament sits in late July.
“That’s when you need the shadow cabinet,” he said.
“That’s a reasonable assumption to make, and I think that that would be the intent of everybody because it would be great to walk in as a shadow cabinet together,” he said.
“I don’t want to put specific days or weeks on it and I don’t think that that is constructive. I think that this is a positive development, one that does show good faith and that’s why I wanted to reciprocate today by this.”
He said he could trust Ley, who was only elected opposition leader last week and whose mother died on Saturday.
In a statement, Ley welcomed the Nationals agreeing shadow cabinet solidarity would not be up for negotiation. The convention requires frontbenchers to advocate for the opposition’s agreed policy, sometimes despite their own personal views.
“In relation to the policy positions proposed by the National party room, consistent with my consultation commitment, the Liberal party will consider these, utilising our party room processes,” she said.
“It has always been the Liberal party’s objective to form a coalition and we welcome the Nationals’ decision to re-enter negotiations.”
Ley will convene a virtual partyroom meeting at 5pm on Thursday to explain the latest developments.
A second meeting to consider the Nationals’ four policy demands is expected next week.
If Liberal MPs endorse the policies it would clear the path for the parties to be reunited.
Earlier on Thursday, Ley had approached former leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack as well as frontbencher Darren Chester to try and forge a resolution.
Littleproud said the Nationals’ position on the voice to parliament debate had set back relations with former opposition leader Peter Dutton in the last term of parliament.
Separately on Thursday, he refused to say if he sought to be made deputy opposition leader, over Ley’s deputy Liberal leader, Ted O’Brien.
The developments followed publication of a letter from before the split in which Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie told her Liberal counterpart, Michaelia Cash, the junior partner would have to consider whether it continued to sit with the Liberals in the Senate after Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s defection to the Liberals.
after newsletter promotion
She raised party status for the Nationals in the Senate after Nampijinpa Price moved to join the Liberal party room to stand as deputy leader earlier this month.
“Depending on the outcome of negotiations between our two parties over coming weeks, the Nationals Senate party room will need to consider our position with respect to sitting with the Liberal party as Coalition in the Senate chamber,’’ McKenzie wrote.
In the press conference, she hit out at leaking during the Coalition spat.
“I don’t think it’s in anyone’s interests for those matters to leak, because it actually breaches and breaks trust.”
The formal split was the first time since 1987 the two parties would not sit together, and was set to badly weaken both parties in parliament and make it difficult for the Liberals to challenge Labor at the next election.
Joyce said he wanted the parties to sort out the breakdown. He declined to say whether Littleproud and Ley had handled the dispute well as leaders.
“I hope things get resolved,” he said. “Why would you hope for a less than effective capacity to hold the government to account and to be quite frank, chaos.”
Former prime minister Tony Abbott called for both sides to come together.
“If the Libs and the Nats go their separate ways, we won’t have one strong opposition, we’ll have two opposition parties that are fighting each other as much as they’re fighting a bad government,” he told 2GB radio.
“That’s a recipe for permanent opposition and that’s a recipe for permanent poor government in our country.”
The deputy Nationals leader, Kevin Hogan, said the split had been driven by principles and acknowledged the party could pay a price at the next election, including the loss of Senate spots in Victoria and New South Wales, due to an end of joint tickets with the Liberals.
“We’ve lost shadow cabinet positions around this … It was a decision that two of our senators could make at great cost to them,” he said.
The prime minister confirmed on Thursday parliament would resume on 22 July.
