Some senior Liberals back Nationals split as ‘necessary reset’

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Senior Liberal and Nationals figures are further explaining what led to the Coalition breaking up for the first time in nearly 40 years. Former Prime Minister John Howard has also weighed in expressing concern about the split.

Transcript

00:00National's leader, David Littleproud, says there were four key policies that he wanted

00:06this firm commitment to from the Liberal Party to be able to move forward with a coalition

00:12agreement.

00:13And the Liberals said that was highly unusual.

00:15They say that when you go into one of these coalition agreements, typically it's more

00:20about divvying up the front bench positions among the two parties.

00:24But David Littleproud said that he wanted an agreement on four key policy areas, including

00:30nuclear power, also quite a large regional fund, universal access to phones in parts of

00:37the bush or all parts of the bush, I should say, and then divestiture powers to be able

00:41to break up supermarkets if they do the wrong thing.

00:46And the Liberals said that because of such a thumping loss just a few weeks ago, they

00:51really wanted to put all of their policies on the table for review.

00:55But of course, the Nationals said that they wanted a commitment on these four areas.

01:00Bridget McKenzie responded this morning.

01:03The leader of the Liberal Party decided to put all of our policies that only three weeks

01:07ago we fought an election on suddenly up for review.

01:11There were some of those that we believe shouldn't have been dealt in that manner.

01:17Now, that was a decision for her, and we've made the very serious, thoughtful decision that

01:23at this time, we are going it alone and standing up for the nine million Australians who don't

01:28live in capital cities.

01:29And that's what we're focused on going forward.

01:32There's also been concern from Liberal leader Susan Lee that she wasn't going to get solidarity

01:38within shadow cabinet.

01:39So she was concerned about a situation where shadow cabinet would come to an agreement on

01:45a policy, and then when that policy was brought up in Parliament, that there would be Nationals

01:50MPs who would cross the floor and sit on the opposing side.

01:53And so that was clearly a worry for the Liberals.

01:56Evelyn, there's been disappointment from some Liberals, including John Howard.

02:01How are senior Liberals responding today?

02:04Yeah, look, John Howard hasn't minced his words, calling it stupid, saying he's very concerned,

02:10and also raising the idea that the longer the two parties spend apart, the harder it will

02:16be to come back together and sort of reunite on policy positions.

02:21The Deputy Liberal leader, Ted O'Brien, was asked about Mr Howard's comments this morning.

02:26John Howard's right in that I too wish that the coalition would stay together.

02:32I think it was more than disappointing that the National Party took the decision yesterday

02:39to break away from the coalition.

02:42I think we're stronger together.

02:44I'm a coalitionist.

02:46I know Susan Lee is certainly a coalitionist.

02:49And my hope is that over time, the National Party will draw the same conclusion that we are

02:55better together than we are apart.

02:58And as Susan's made clear, our door of the Liberal Party remains open.

03:04So, look, clearly disappointment there from the Liberals.

03:07But some are being understanding, trying to see the silver lining in all of this as a chance

03:13to really reflect, learn the lessons from the May 3 poll and make the differences that

03:20the Australian public clearly want the Liberal Party to do.

03:23There has also been some Liberal figures, though, that aren't willing to put their names

03:28to comments just yet, but expressing that the Nationals sort of were, I guess, impacting

03:34on their appeal in the cities.

03:36And that is certainly what the electorate voted back on May 3, that they didn't endorse the

03:42Liberals in a number of key city seats.

03:45That ended up being a real problem for them.

03:46That is not true.

03:47Here are three people.

03:47That is true.

03:48There are three people.

03:49That is the one.

03:50ичего prayer in the country has the otherich amis, but for them, they are important for them.

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