Following a resounding defeat in the national elections this month, Australia’s National Party and its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, have split.
The National Leader, David Littleproud, declared to reporters on Tuesday, “It’s time for a break.”
Following Anthony Albanese’s landmark second term as president of the United States, the split highlights the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties. The backlash against Donald Trump’s policies led to the center-left Labor Party’s victory in the May 3 election.
The Liberal and National coalition had shared power in state and federal politics under the longstanding partnership, with the Liberals contesting city seats in large-scale elections.
According to Littleproud, citing policy differences, “We will not be re-entering a coalition agreement with the Liberal Party after this election.”
Sussan Ley, the Liberal Party’s leader, promised to review all policies following the election loss. She expressed disappointment with the Nationals’ decision on Tuesday, which came after they had demanded specific commitments.
The Liberals will form the official opposition, she added, having become the largest non-government political party.
The Liberals’ worst result came when Labor increased its tally from 77 to 94, registering its largest-ever majority in an election, reducing the Liberals’ total to 28 out of 150 seats in the House of Representatives. 15 of the seats were held by the National Party.
Independents who support gender equality and action on climate change took control of key city seats, losing them to the Liberal Party.
After opposition leader Peter Dutton lost his seat in the election, Ley, a former outback pilot with three finance degrees, was elected as the party’s first female leader.
She is a leader who needs to rebuild the Liberal Party because they are embarking on a rediscovery journey, according to Littleproud.
The Nationals will continue to support the interests of rural Australians if the coalition talks are “open,” he said, but they will “have the door open” for further discussions.
Ley’s party had been unsuccessful in urging her party to carry out a policy supported by the election that supported the use of nuclear energy, as well as better telecommunications in the Outback.
Despite having the largest uranium reserves in the world, nuclear energy is prohibited in Australia.
Littleproud claimed that nuclear power was required because the Labor government’s plan to switch Australia away from coal to “renewables only” was illogical.
He claimed that wind farm turbines “are destroying our landscape and destroying your food security.”
The urban-rural divide, according to AgForce CEO Michael Guerin, is getting worse.
He continued, “We’re probably seeing that in the political forum,” adding that both the Liberals and the Nationals needed to rebuild.
Source: Aljazeera
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