The Coalition has been plunged into chaos after the entire Nationals frontbench resigned from the shadow cabinet following a split over Labor's hate speech laws. David Littleproud and seven other frontbench colleagues quit their positions after Liberal leader Sussan Ley accepted the resignations of three Nationals senators who crossed the floor to oppose the legislation.
The resignations from senators Ross Cadell, Bridget McKenzie and Susan McDonald were triggered when they voted against the hate speech laws drafted after the Bondi massacre. The Nationals had adopted opposition to the bill as a party room decision, putting them at odds with the Liberals and the agreed shadow cabinet position.
Ley urged Littleproud not to walk away from the Coalition and insisted the additional resignations were unnecessary. She said shadow cabinet solidarity was "not optional" and asked Littleproud to nominate three other Nationals to fill the vacant frontbench positions. No permanent changes to the shadow ministry have been made, giving the Nationals time to reconsider.
Littleproud had warned Ley in a letter that if the three senators' resignations were accepted, the entire National Party ministry would resign to take collective responsibility. The crisis threatens to destabilise Ley's leadership, which has already been under pressure due to poor polls and internal criticism.
The mass walkout marks the latest chapter in the Nationals' chaotic decline, according to analysts. One Liberal MP expressed disappointment, saying the Nationals' move turns a story about an opposition own goal into a Liberal party story.
