David Littleproud’s visit to Sussan Ley’s home territory of Albury for Coalition negotiations last week was marked by a confrontational stance and a set of unworkable demands on the part of the Nationals leader. Littleproud arrived in Albury with a list of impossible demands for immediate opposition policy commitments in four key areas, which were seen as unreasonable by Ley.
Ley, who had been in the job for less than a week and was dealing with personal family concerns, found Littleproud’s demands completely unworkable, particularly the proposal for the Coalition to immediately lock in opposition policy on four specific issues – this included $20 billion for regional infrastructure, policies on telecommunications, and competitive powers targeting major retailers such as Coles and Woolworths.
Ley was placed in a difficult position, as agreeing to these demands would necessitate going against her own Liberal Party’s values and could alienate her from voters, particularly since she had promised a thorough review of policies that were so roundly rejected by voters under Peter Dutton. Moreover, many Liberals already felt that the Nationals had unduly influenced the Coalition in the previous term.
Littleproud’s demands combined with rules that would allow the Nationals to dissent in parliament on shadow cabinet decisions further strained negotiations. The crisis intensified when Ley received only short notice that Littleproud’s refusal to compromise would lead to the first Coalition break since the “Joh-for-PM” push in 1987.
Meanwhile, Anthony Albanese, the Labor leader, was en route home from the Vatican when news of the Coalition’s meltdown broke, he characterized the Liberal Party as a “smoking ruin.” The Coalition’s split—dubbed a “nuclear meltdown”—raises significant questions about the future of politics and the potential for reconciliation before the next election, where joint policies will have to be negotiated anew.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/21/sussan-ley-knew-she-faced-a-challenge-then-the-nationals-went-nuclear
