Nationals Leader David Littleproud has declined to deny reports that he urged Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to resign during a heated phone call, as leadership tensions intensify following the Coalition’s second rupture in just a few months.
Under sustained questioning, Mr Littleproud dismissed reports of a tense exchange as “gossip” but carefully avoided rejecting claims that he told Ms Ley to step aside. The alleged conversation took place on Thursday morning, just hours before the Nationals formally confirmed they were withdrawing from the Coalition.
The breakdown followed Ms Ley’s decision to accept the resignations of three Nationals senators—Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell—after they defied shadow cabinet and voted against the government’s hate crimes legislation. That move triggered an immediate backlash within the Nationals, culminating in a mass withdrawal from the opposition frontbench and a formal split between the Coalition partners.
Reports suggest the phone call between the two leaders became particularly tense when Ms Ley asked Mr Littleproud to refrain from media appearances during the National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bondi terror attacks. Mr Littleproud is alleged to have refused and raised questions about her leadership during the exchange.
Asked repeatedly whether he explicitly called on Ms Ley to resign, Mr Littleproud refused to engage.
“I’m not going to get into conversations of any nature—private or otherwise,” he said, describing the speculation around a Liberal leadership spill as “nonsense” and “not a matter for us”.
Mr Littleproud also rejected claims that the Nationals had previously agreed to support the hate crimes legislation. He said he did not see the final bill until early Tuesday morning, just hours before it was due to be debated and voted on in parliament.
“There was no bill on the Sunday,” he said. “The first time a bill was presented was Tuesday morning, for something as far-reaching as this.”
While defending his party’s position, Mr Littleproud acknowledged the Nationals could return to the Coalition—under strict conditions. He said reunification would only be possible if Ms Ley reinstated the three ousted senators and restored them to the shadow cabinet.
“That was the threshold question put to our party room, and it was put to Sussan,” he said. “She was not prepared to accept it.”
Meanwhile, pressure continues to mount on Ms Ley’s leadership within the Liberal Party, with internal sources suggesting a spill could be triggered at the first party room meeting on February 3, when parliament resumes. Former SAS commander Andrew Hastie and senior Liberal figure Angus Taylor are widely viewed as potential challengers.
Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, who defected to One Nation late last year, also weighed in, comparing the Coalition’s ongoing turmoil to a political soap opera “too big for one marriage”.
Despite the unrest, Liberal frontbencher Julian Leeser publicly reaffirmed his support for Ms Ley, insisting she had adhered to shadow cabinet conventions and would remain leader in the coming weeks.
