Canberra, May 20
Australia's conservative Coalition has split after the National Party announced it would not re-enter a partnership with the Liberal Party following a historic defeat at the federal election.
David Littleproud, leader of the Nationals, on Tuesday said that the party has made the decision not to enter into a new Coalition agreement for the 48th parliament after a breakdown in negotiations with new Liberal leader Sussan Ley.
It comes after the May 3 election for the 48th parliament, at which the governing centre-left Labor Party was re-elected in a historic landslide.
"The National Party will sit alone on a principle basis," Littleproud told reporters in Canberra.
"On the basis of looking forward, not having to look back, and to try and actually regain important policy pieces that change the lives of the people we represent."
It marks the first time since 1987 that the Coalition has split. Since re-forming after the 1987 election, the Coalition governed Australia between 1996 and 2007 and again from 2013 to 2022, with the urban-focused Liberal Party serving as the senior partner and the rural-focused National Party as the junior.