Sussan Ley threatens to bench renegade National cabinet members after meeting with David Littleproud

A reconciliation between the Coalition parties is looking less likely after Liberal leader Sussan Ley told David Littleproud she would only accept three renegade Nationals senators back onto the frontbench after they spent six months in time out.

The Nationals are now considering the offer, but Mr Littleproud said his party would take its time to do so.

Ms Ley last week gave the Nationals a deadline to reform the Coalition by Sunday, or she would appoint Liberals to fill the vacant shadow ministry positions – a move that would make it far more difficult to reunite.

Now sources on both sides think that deadline is slipping away.

Privately, some Nationals are wondering how they can have good faith negotiations about bringing the parties back together when details of talks and offers keep ending up in the media.

Liberal sources believe there are too many red lines being drawn as positions harden, particularly over the central issue of cabinet solidarity.

That was also at the heart of the earlier dispute when the leaders were striking a Coalition agreement after the election last May.

One Liberal source said their sense was that personalities were stopping progress, referring to animosity between Ms Ley and Mr Littleproud.

Some Liberal members have said privately it might be better for the parties to remain separate for an extended period to independently pursue the voter bases they need to win back.

On Tuesday Ms Ley tabled an offer that both parties would reaffirm shadow cabinet solidarity and agree that neither party room could overturn any decision endorsed by the joint frontbench.

She also made it a condition that Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell, who resigned after crossing the floor to oppose laws banning hate groups, couldn’t rejoin the frontbench until July 2026 at the earliest.

The three conditions were described as “not optional” while Ms Ley offered that portfolio allocations could be negotiated.

“We are both parties on the non-Labor side of politics and we both have a lot in common when it comes to the people we represent and the way we know we have to hold this Labor government to account,” she said on Tuesday morning.

“So we agreed that we would keep talking. The conversations were friendly, constructive and will continue.”

The four-point offer was sent after the party leaders and their offsiders held talks about reuniting the Coalition on Monday night, which failed to reach any conclusion.

Mr Littleproud confirmed he’d received a written offer from the Liberals and his party was considering its next move.

“The Nationals are united in our endeavours to reset the Coalition, but we won’t be providing updates on any negotiations through the media,” he said in a statement.

“The negotiations are ongoing and we will always be constructive and act in good faith. It’s important we take the time to get the settings right.”

He’s yet to respond to Ms Ley and no further talks have been scheduled at this stage.

Each leader put the position to their party rooms in separate meetings on Tuesday.

The Liberals discussed the proposition, backing in the agreement that the three floor-crossers had to face consequences, but didn’t make any kind of formal vote.

The two parties got a taste of what separated parliamentary life would be like when all the Nationals were booted out of committee positions and the Government moved to halve the number of questions the Opposition could ask.

Under a new seating plan, the Opposition frontbench now consists solely Liberal MPs, while party backbenchers sit as a group adjacent to a separate block of Nationals MPs.

“We still have the traditional crossbench over in the corner there, but we have the cross, the very cross and the apoplectic, all in front of us here,” Leader of the House Tony Burke said while pointing to the new seating area for the Nationals next to the crossbench.

Other ministers also tried out their Question Time comedy routines at the Liberals’ and Nationals’ expense.

“I used to get admonished sometimes by the Speaker by using the term ‘no-alition’. I meant it as a joke – but they regarded it as a mission statement,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered.

Despite heated speculation about the Liberal leadership, Ms Ley faced no challenge in her party room – in fact, the topic wasn’t even mentioned, multiple sources confirmed.

The party’s right wing is still gathering numbers for a challenge by Angus Taylor.

Health Minister Mark Butler said it was inexplicable that Mr Taylor remained part of the Liberal leadership team.

“A man with no apparent honour at all, plotting against his leader from the frontbench,” he told Parliament.

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie said the country needed a proper opposition and they weren’t getting it from the Liberals and Nationals.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves. So put it away, get back together and get moving as an opposition, because quite frankly, you’re not going to win the next election,” she said.

“Fix it today. It’s embarrassing. From where I’m sitting and millions of Australians, you’re embarrassing yourselves. So for the sake of the country, for goodness sake, get it worked out, get back together and start moving things up there in those chambers.”