Australian Nationals leave Coalition with Liberal Party
Monday, May 26, 2025
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On Tuesday, May 20, the leader of the National Party, David Littleproud, announced that the party would be ending their century-long partnership with the Liberal Party. The two parties' coalition has been the dominant centre-right and right-wing party in Australian politics, opposing the centre-left Labor Party. But following the Coalition's historic defeat at the 2025 Federal Election, the Nationals have decided to leave the party, ending a decades long alliance.
In his announcement, Littleproud cited growing differences in policy, including budgeting and nuclear power, and the party's poor performance at the recent 2025 election. The election itself was historic, with Liberal leader Peter Dutton losing his seat to a Labor MP (the first opposition leader to do so in the country's history) after leading the party to one of the most decisive election defeats in Australian history.
The two parties have engaged in discussions to reform the coalition, but currently the Nationals have decided to sit apart from the Liberals and are not part of a coalition agreement. According to ABC election analyst Antony Green, the Liberal and National parties are unlikely to form a government independently.
Sources
[edit]- Maani Truu. Nationals call it quits on decades-long coalition with Liberals — ABC News, May 20, 2025
- Ewa Staszewska. No-alition: Littleproud announces Nationals and Liberals will not form a Coalition — SBS, May 20, 2025
