Liberal Leadership Disappointed With National Party’s Breakaway

Nationals walk away from 80-year-old Coalition over policy divide, citing nuclear energy, divestiture laws and regional funding priorities.

Australia's Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley speaks at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 13, 2025. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

The Liberal Party has expressed disappointment over the Nationals’ decision to formally exit the Coalition agreement, issuing a carefully worded statement distancing itself from the breakdown.

“It is disappointing that the National party has taken the decision to leave the Coalition today,” said Sussan Ley, recently elected leader of Liberal party and her deputy Ted O’Brien, in a joint statement released just hours after Nationals leader David Littleproud’s announcement on May 20.