Liberals and Nationals are locked in a tense stand-off nearly a week after their dramatic split, as the heads of both parties hold off naming new shadow ministries which would make the divorce more permanent.
Conservative challengers are circling Opposition Leader Sussan Ley after the political break-up, and supporters of rival Liberal leadership contender Andrew Hastie claim they have the numbers to challenge for the top job – a suggestion hotly disputed by Ms Ley’s supporters.
The Nationals’ departure from the coalition means Ms Ley needs to reassign the portfolios held by the regional party, including key areas such as trade, agriculture, resources and emergency management.
Multiple Liberal sources told AAP on Tuesday that Ms Ley was yet to offer any of the Nationals’ former jobs to her Liberal team, but insiders were divided over the reason.
Two Liberal politicians said their leader was holding out hope the Nationals would return to the fold.
Members of both parties believe naming separate front benches would cement the already-acrimonious split.
“I still think she hopes the Nats will come back and (assigning new portfolios is) not something she needs to do yet,” one senior Liberal said.
But another source believed Ms Ley, who could face a leadership challenge as soon as next week, was hoping to bolster her support base by essentially trading portfolios for votes.
The Nationals will also need to name their own front bench as they strike out on their own in parliament.
But two sources inside the regional party said there had been no conversations about a carve-up of shadow ministries.
The split between the Liberals and Nationals was triggered by a disagreement over new hate crimes reforms – the Liberals voted for the contentious legislation while the Nationals voted against it, citing concerns about free speech.
During the ugly saga, all shadow ministers from the regional party resigned from Ms Ley’s front bench and Nationals leader David Littleproud declared the once-strong coalition was no more.
The sequence of events has destabilised Ms Ley’s leadership, with conservative Liberals Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie both believed to be canvassing for votes.
MPs have been mostly holding their fire because a memorial service for late Victorian Liberal MP Katie Allen is being held on Thursday.
Dr Allen, a doctor before she entered federal parliament, died in late 2025 from a rare form of cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma.
Mr Hastie’s camp indicated the leadership contest would likely heat up on Thursday afternoon, once the service had wrapped up.
While Mr Hastie’s supporters insist they have the numbers for a challenge, this claim is disputed by moderates who believe Ms Ley’s leadership is safe, for now.
One moderate source also claimed neither Mr Hastie’s supporters, nor Mr Taylor’s, had reached out to the faction to ask for support.
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