Major sticking point in negotiations is the status of the three former frontbenchers who voted against Labor’s hate speech laws
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The three National senators who defied the shadow cabinet to oppose Labor’s hate speech laws would be forced to sit on the backbench for six months under Sussan Ley’s offer to the Nationals to reunite the Coalition.
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, said the country party would “take our time” to consider the Liberals’ proposal, leaving a potential reunion of the two parties hanging in the balance at the start of a new sitting fortnight in Canberra.
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Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/03/nationals-coalition-backbench
Author : Dan Jervis-Bardy Chief political correspondent
Publish date : 2026-02-03 01:48:00
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