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FURTHER READING: The Coalition has ENDED: Nationals plan to separate from Liberals
A leaked letter has exposed that the Nationals initially considered leaving the Coalition following Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s move to the Liberal partyroom. This disclosure challenges David Littleproud's assertion that the division was exclusively due to policy disagreements.
The letter sent from Bridget McKenzie of the Nationals to the Liberals
Senate
Leader Michaelia Cash expressed concern on May 12 that the Nationals might lose their party status following the reduction to only four senators due to the defeat of Price.
The party status, needing five members, provides additional resources for activities such as traveling, renting office spaces, hiring staff, and paying salaries.
On May 8, Senator Price dramatically switched allegiance from the National Party to join the Liberal Party in Parliament.
As a member of the Country Liberal Party, she has the option to pick one of the two. However, this decision was broadly viewed as a betrayal.
Two days following her defection, Senator McKenzie wrote the forcefully worded letter, which was initially acquired by
news.com.au
, which was entitled 'Resignation of Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price from The Nationals Senate Party Room'.
'As a result of her defection, together with the severe drop in Liberal Party vote in New South Wales, from 1 July 2025 The Nationals will hold only four seats in the Senate,' Senator McKenzie wrote.
'This is below what is required to maintain party status in the Senate as a party that is "part of the Government or the Opposition" under the Parliamentary Business Resources Regulations 2017.
'If The Nationals lose their party status in the Senate, it will significantly impact both their Senate team and the broader Coalition.'
'Depending on the outcome of negotiations between our parties over coming weeks, the Nationals senate party room will need to consider our position with respect to sitting with the Liberal Party as a Coalition in the senate chamber.'
The idea that splitting from the Coalition was mooted as an option eight days before the Nationals announced their decision to back out undermines Littleproud's subsequent claims that it was due to disagreements over policy, rather than personnel.
On Tuesday, when he announced the Coalition was breaking up for only the third time in its 80-year history, he claimed discussion had broken down over the Nationals' desire for a commitment on
nuclear power
, authority for supermarkets to sell off assets, financing for regional infrastructure and telecom projects.
On Wednesday evening, during a live television broadcast, Senator McKenzie was questioned about differing accounts regarding a key issue. This issue revolved around the Nationals' reluctance to commit to abstaining from publicly opposing the stances of the shadow cabinet.
"I can assure you, as I was present in the National party room where this decision was made, which was later communicated to the Liberal leader, this wasn’t part of our discussion… we focused exclusively on those four policies," she stated to ABC's 7.30 program.
However, shortly after her remarks, staffers for Liberal leader Sussan Ley contradicted them by sending messages directly to the show while the interview was still ongoing.
'The suggestion that unity within the shadow cabinet wasn’t an issue is inaccurate,' the document stated.
'It is documented that their leader’s office made this a prerequisite for our records.'
Ley's office sent another message adding: 'The language used by McKenzie was intentional to make it appear as though it was solely about the policies. This characterization is inaccurate.'
When confronted with the texts, McKenzie stated through an ABC press release that she maintained her original statements.
"The assertions mentioned earlier did not serve as the foundation for the National Party's decision against forming a coalition at present," she stated.
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