Sussan Ley says first meeting on Coalition 'productive' but no deal yet
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The news: Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says discussions with her Nationals counterpart David Littleproud have been “productive” but has stopped short of guaranteeing a Coalition agreement will be struck.
The context: Ley was elected Liberal leader on Tuesday, ten days after the party’s wipeout at the federal election.
The future of the Coalition is up in the air; the Nationals MPs are swinging behind the contentious nuclear policy, while some are agitating to dump the Coalition’s net zero emissions by 2050 target. Nationals sources insist renewing the deal is not a forgone conclusion.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Ley confirmed she had met Littleproud for a “respectful” conversation at her electorate office in Albury, where she is spending time with her sick mother.
“It was the first of many meetings I'll have with David. It was productive, it was respectful and our conversations will continue,” she said.
“I’ll obviously make further announcements about those conversations and the results from them in due course.”
Ley would not be drawn on the prospect of a temporary split in the Coalition, saying the two parties first needed to discuss matters internally.
Holding her first press conference as leader on Tuesday, Ley threw all policies open and pointedly declined to commit the Liberals to net zero.
But any move to walk away from the Paris Climate Agreement would anger moderates, and risk further alienating voters who have abandoned the Liberals at two successive elections.
Striking a new tone on foreign affairs, Ley also wished Prime Minister Anthony Albanese well as he travelled to Jakarta for his first overseas visit since re-election.
“My team will always play a constructive role in our relationships with foreign leaders, because his success in these relationships is Australia's success on the world stage," she said.
What they said: “Matters that the Nationals discuss in their party room are for them, and matters that the Liberal Party discussed in our party room are for us,” Ley said, on the prospect of a Coalition split.
The source: Sussan Ley press conference
