After 80 years of political partnership, Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud has confirmed they will not re-join the Coalition with the Liberal Party in a historic breakdown over nuclear power talks.
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00:00This morning, after the discussions that both Susan Lay and I have had over the ensuring
00:05period, our party room has got to a position where we will not be re-entering a coalition
00:11agreement with the Liberal Party after this election.
00:16What we have got to a position is that the National Party will sit alone on a principled
00:21basis, on the basis of looking forward, not having to look back and to try and actually
00:27regain important policy pieces that change the lives of the people we represent.
00:33It's on a principled position of making sure that those hard-fought wins are maintained
00:38and respected and we continue to look forward.
00:40We look forward to what else we can do as a party and as part of an opposition now that
00:46can shape the lives of regional Australians for the better and those positions that we
00:53couldn't get comfort around a nuclear being part of an energy grid into the future, about
01:01the Regional Australia Future Fund, a $20 billion fund paying a $1 billion dividend every year
01:06above and beyond, to change the lives of regional Australians.
01:09About employing and training some doctors, to actually filling in some potholes, to actually
01:14giving young families the hope of childcare.
01:17What we fight for every day.
01:20That's the principle position we took that we needed to have comfort around and what we
01:24are saying is that what we secured in the former coalition are policies that should remain.
01:29We don't want to have to look back and waste energy on trying to re-prosecute the case.
01:34We should be continuing to look forward.
01:36And so I had a respectful conversation with Susan Lee this morning and sat down, made it very
01:41clear that we remain committed to having the door open, respecting the position that Susan's
01:48been put in, that she is a leader that needs to rebuild the Liberal Party.
01:53They are going on a journey of rediscovery and this will provide them the opportunity to
01:59do that without the spectre of the National Party imposing their will.
02:03But setting clear boundaries and parameters about what's important to us, about what we
02:08achieved as a coalition in the last three years.
02:11Building on that, not having to look back and to fight for things but to actually focus
02:17on what's important, changing the lives of people in regional Australia.
02:22Young kids that are in regional Australia and the reason I got into politics was seeing
02:26them for generations leave regional Australia to go over the great dividing range and go
02:31to capital cities and never come back.
02:33I got into politics to bring them home and to keep them home.
02:37And I don't want to have to go back and fight to get what we need to make sure I give the
02:43opportunity the people we represent.
02:45And I respect the principal position that Susan is in and she needs to go through a process
02:50and I want to give her that time.
02:53And we made it very clear to one another that I believe she is the leader that can help the
02:59Liberal Party reinvent itself and get it to a juncture that the Australian people want
03:03to see, a healthy opposition.
03:05And I gave her that commitment that I'll work every day with her to try and rebuild that
03:10relationship to the point where we can re-enter a coalition before the next election.
03:14But at this juncture, we're making a principal position about not what we're prepared to
03:20give up on but to build on what we've achieved.