Australian news and politics recap May 23: Libs set to agree ‘in principle’ to Nationals’ Coalition demands

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has weighed in on the messy separation of the coalition, accusing the Nationals of holding a gun to the Liberal Party’s head in a “stupid” move.

About 48 hours after he announced the Nationals would be walking away from the Liberal Party for the first time in almost 40 years, leader David Littleproud and Sussan Ley on Thursday reopened talks.

Appearing on an ABC podcast, Mr Turnbull lambasted the Nationals for trying to hold the Liberals to ransom.

“This holding a gun to the Liberal Party’s head, which is what the Nats are doing, is really, really unwise, stupid politically,” he said.

“This is just so bad politically for them, so unwise.”

Some Liberals call it a threatening letter. Others see it as thinly disguised hate mail. The Nationals say it is simply a letter of concern.

But Bridget McKenzie’s terse note to Liberal Senate leader Michaelia Cash eight days before the Nationals blew up the Coalition is now seen as something of a smoking gun.

It explodes David Littleproud’s constant assertions that this was all about principle.

It now appears it was also personal.

It started with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s defection to the Liberals and escalated quickly from there.

Littleproud orchestrated a game of chicken with Sussan Ley. He presented her with a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum on policy he knew would place her in an invidious position with her party room.

And it seems it has worked.

The Liberals have blinked.

Read Mark Riley’s full column here.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is en route to the mid-north coast, where he will meet with NSW Premier Chris Minns and tour the flood zone later today via helicopter.

He described the flood conditions as “pretty horrific”.

He says disaster recovery allowances will be open from Monday, which provide up to 13 weeks of fortnightly payments to people who can’t work or will lose income in the wake of the disaster.

He said that critical government agencies will have pop ups to help people.

Mr Albanese praised emergency response teams as “heroes” but called on people in the flood zone to use “common sense” and not drive into waters.

“If it’s flooded, forget it. Do not drive through floodwaters,” he told Triple M Newcastle.

“Listen to the advice. Make sure you log on to the relevant sites and keep informed if you’re in these communities, because we just don’t want to see any further tragedies.”

A fourth person has been found dead in NSW’s flood catastrophe.

The man, believed to be in his 70s, was discovered in a car north west of Coffs Harbour this morning.

Police say a passing motorist spotted the vehicle about 4.30am. It had run off Orara Way at Nana Glen, 30kms from Coffs Harbour.

“Officers from Coffs-Clarence Police Area Command and SES members attended the scene and found the body of a man inside. He appeared to be the only occupant,” a police statement read.

Assistant Commissioner Dave Waddell appeared on 2GB on Friday morning to confirm the grim news.

“It appears the man has run off the road in what locals are saying is the worst flooding ever in the region,” Asst. Comm. Waddell said.

SES boss Dallas Burnes has told Sunrise that there will various methods employed as resupply begins to become a priority.

“There will be a mix of methodologies depending on where and how they’re isolated,” Supt. Burnes said.

“Some of those properties may only be able to be reached by aviation. Others, we may be able to use boats to get to where their roads are cut.

“We’ll put plans in place to meet the home owners at the driveway location that’s now their boat ramp, so to speak.

“It really varies on property type and where it is. In other villages we may use a cache-type system where we take food or basic supplies to a central location and the people in the flood island can meet us there and get milk, bread, whatever they’ve requested.”

SES Superintendent Dallas Burnes has joined Sunrise to provide a bleak update after another night of horrific weather in NSW.

“Another busy night for our crews and it will be a busy day ahead for the 2,200 volunteers we’ve got on the ground in the area of operations on the Mid North Coast, “ Supt. Burnes told Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington on Friday.

“177 flood rescues in the last 24 hours and we’re still focusing on conducting those rescues and helping those people as they need help, but a real focus over the next day will be starting to resupply those who are isolated.

“We’ve currently got 50,000 people isolated, with most of those in the Taree area, due to the M1 being cut.

“But there’s also many outlying villages and people on farms who are isolated at the moment and we need to make sure they get their staples and we’ve got a resupply plan to start doing that.”

Liberal MPs have broadly backed reuniting with their Nationals counterparts, but questions remain about policy demands.

The former coalition partners are edging closer to a reunion after both parties delayed the announcement of their shadow cabinet and portfolio allocations.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley addressed her party room during a virtual hook up on Thursday evening, where there was said to be broad support for remaining in a coalition but not at any cost.

The Nationals want the Liberals to commit to nuclear energy, divestiture laws, a regional investment fund and boosting phone connectivity.

Following the meeting, one Liberal source told AAP none of the policies were deal breakers.

But there are questions about details such as costings and how they would be paid for as MPs are wary about signing up with a blank cheque.

Read the full story here.

Emergency services are set for another harrowing day as dangerous flood waters, which have now claimed at least three lives, continue to rise along the NSW coast.

As over 2500 SES volunteers continue to perform hundreds of rescues on remote properties and sea level towns are inundated, the focus for authorities is now moving south with Sydney and the south coast regions hammered by torrential rain on Thursday and the early hours of Friday morning.

A reported 50,000 people remain stranded with rescue teams at times unable to safely access areas to answer distress calls.

A slow-moving trough which delivered intense rain will bring further heavy falls to parts of the NSW Hunter region, Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands, extending further south throughout Friday morning.

Three people have been confirmed dead as a result of the floods in the Hunter region and mid-north coast.

Many more have been rescued after entering floodwaters.

Read the full story here.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been making calls from the national situation room in Canberra as the NSW flood crisis continues to worsen.

The death toll now sits at three and many more may be unaccounted for as rescuers try to reach remote properties.

“There have been over 300 people rescued and indeed the Australian Defence Force that we activated, a chopper has made eight rescues last night and further rescues today,” Anthony Albanese said on ABC radio on Thursday.

“We’ve activated the Disaster Recovery Allowance that pays wages up to 13 weeks for people who can’t work and need that support in four local government areas in Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Mid North Coast and Dungog.

“And that follows yesterday’s activation of 16 areas of local government for disaster assistance.

“It’s a joint payment made for emergency funding, for food and for accommodation through the Federal and state governments.”

The NSW flood crisis continues to engulf vast regions of the north coast and tens of thousands remain effected.

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