BREAKING : Historic Coalition Split: Nationals Break with Liberals Over Policy Principles as New Leadership Takes Charge
Australia's century-old conservative partnership fractures under pressure from election defeat and irreconcilable policy differences on nuclear energy, supermarket powers
Without having to look back and attempt to reclaim significant policy pieces that impact the lives of those we represent, the National Party will sit alone on a principled basis. With these remarks, Nationals leader David Littleproud ends one of Australia's longest-running political alliances, the Liberal-National Coalition, which has led the country for over half of its contemporary democratic history.
This decision comes at a crucial time after Labour won 93 seats in the May 2025 federal election, the most in the party's history, leaving both conservative parties in ruins and unsure of their political identities.
Citing irreconcilable differences over important policies like nuclear energy, supermarket divestiture powers, and regional Australia funding, the Nationals have formally withdrawn from their coalition agreement with the Liberals. With Labor's 50-seat majority and an unclear route back to power, the split leaves both parties negotiating uncharted territory.
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