Australian news and politics live: Coalition split may end quickly as Nationals and Liberals open peace talks

NSW Premier Chris Minns is speaking at a press conference for the second time on Thursday as the flood crisis worsens on the Mid North Coast, with indications the rain will worsen further south toward the Hunter and Central Coast.

Mr Minns warned the community that “we’re seeing levels of rise in local tributaries, creeks, rivers, that we haven’t seen since 1920,” with many residents experiencing unprecedented flooding.

Mr Minns revealed that in the past 48 hours, 34 emergency warnings have been issued and 500 rescues carried out, with about 30 per cent of those due to people driving through floodwaters.

He added that while emergency services are working at full capacity, the intense rain is expected to move south around midnight tonight.

“That does not mean that the chances of localised (flooding) have been eliminated. In fact, some of the river networks that have hit their peak may continue to rise even if the intense rainfall moves further south,” he said.

“Moving further south means that communities down in this end, Maitland area and further closer to the Pacific Ocean, will experience perhaps isolation and perhaps Emergency warnings.”

He urged people in flood zones to “listen to emergency services” and follow evacuation or isolation orders, stressing that “it’s never OK to drive through floodwaters.”

The Liberals say a key sticking point in the Coalition breakdown was the Nationals’ refusal to guarantee Shadow Cabinet solidarity.

Nationals leader David Littleproud has denied that was ever on the table or a trigger for their exit, but new Liberal leader Sussan Ley and her colleagues point to it as a major factor in the split.

Shortly after Mr Littleproud held a press conference on Thursday to say their fracture was on ice, Ms Ley issued a statement welcoming his public commitment of Shadow Cabinet solidarity.

“This is the first time this commitment has been made and I welcome it as a foundation to resolve other matters,” she said.

“Earlier today I wrote to, and met with, David inviting him to re-enter good-faith negotiations. I am pleased he has accepted.

“In relation to the policy positions proposed by the National Party Room, consistent with my consultation commitment, the Liberal Party will consider these, utilising our party room processes.

“It has always been the Liberal Party’s objective to form a Coalition and we welcome The Nationals’ decision to re-enter negotiations.”

Ms Ley confirmed she had paused her Shadow Ministry announcement today.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud says the pause in the split “is a positive step forward.”

“I’m proud to say that it will allow this process to take place and for the Liberal Party to convene and whatever period is… convenient for them.”

The Nationals have blamed four key policies for the split, including support for nuclear energy, supermarket divestiture powers, the establishment of a $20 billion regional future fund, and enforcement of universal service obligations.

Mr Littleproud said he didn’t make the call to break up the working relationship after almost four decades lightly.

“We didn’t do what we did on Tuesday lightly. It was a tough decision. A huge decision,” he said.

Read the full story here.

The Coalition split may be short-lived with Liberals and The Nationals brokering peace talks in Canberra on Thursday.

David Littleproud confirmed he Liberal leader Sussan Ley had agreed to stand down their expected announcements on party room appointments after a morning meeting.

Mr Littleproud said in a “positive step” on Thursday Ms Ley had agreed to reconvene her party room to discuss the four key policy principles that the Nationals demanded.

“I had a brief meeting with Sussan Ley and she made an offer to reconvene her party room to discuss the four policy areas that the National Party demanded as part of a Coalition agreement,” he said.

Ms Ley was expected to announce her Liberal-only shadow cabinet and Mr Littleproud his party spokespersons today.

“I thank her for that and as a consequence, I have decided to send those spokespeople home as a sign of good faith,” he said.

“I’m prepared to pause my announcement today as a sign of good faith. And Sussan, as a sign of good faith, will not be announcing a shadow cabinet.”

The Coalition split may be short-lived, with Nationals leader David Littleproud confirming on Thursday he’s been in ongoing talks with Liberal leader Sussan Ley to broker a peace deal.

Mr Lilttleproud confirmed the two have met in Canberra today and said it was “a positive step” that Ms Ley agreed to reconvene her party room to discuss the four key policy principles that the Nationals demanded.

Ms Ley was expected to announce her Liberal-only shadow cabinet and Mr Littleproud his party spokespersons today, however, it’s been put on hold as they pair open the door to reuniting.

Mr Littleproud announced on Tuesday he would walk away from the agreement without the four policies etched into a renewed Coalition agreement. Ms Ley had refused to make preliminary assurances before a full review of the election loss and of all policies was conducted.

Australia’s banks are rolling out disaster relief measures as flood damage mounts across the Hunter and Mid-North Coast, with affected customers now able to apply for financial assistance.

Australian Banking Association chief Anna Bligh said banks are “making sure financial support is available to customers should they need it.”

She urged anyone experiencing financial stress due to the floods to contact their bank to discuss support options, adding, “This doesn’t have to be today, it could be in the next few weeks or months as recovery efforts get underway.”

Assistance may include deferrals of loan or credit card repayments, waiving or refunding fees, restructuring loans, increasing credit limits, temporary overdrafts, or extra finance for cash flow needs.

The ABA encouraged customers to reach out as soon as they need help.

Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain has been asked again if the Prime Minister or other Labor MPs will be visiting flood-affected areas.

Reporter: “Have you received word on whether the PM or other MPs will be going to the flood-affected areas?”

Minister McBain: “At this stage, we’ve got a disaster unfolding. Our focus right now is on that immediate response phase and assisting people that need evacuation.

“We don’t want to take any resources away from where they’re required.

“I’ve spoken to the Prime Minister last night and again this morning about that.

“I know that the Premier and he have had conversations as well.

“I’ll head up to that area very shortly. But at this stage, we won’t be going anywhere near those rescue zones.”

Ms McBain said she had also been speaking with her New South Wales counterpart.

Health Minister Mark Butler says Australia’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have marked a new 1.5 million-visit milestone.

The clinics are bulk-billed medical centres established to provide free, walk-in care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions to ease pressure on hospital emergency departments.

Speaking at Adelaide’s Western Medicare Urgent Care Clinic on Thursday, Mr Butler said an interim report of the evaluation of the clinics had found that nearly half of all attending patients would have gone to a hospital ED if they weren’t available.

“In two short years, Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have become a vital part of Australia’s health system and clocked up 1.5 million free visits. By July next year, another 50 Urgent Care Clinics will open,” he said.

Ms McBain says climate change is having a big impact on natural disasters amid the NSW floods.

Speaking in the National Situation Room, Ms McBain said Australia was seeing more “devastating events”, “more frequently”.

“I don’t think that there is a question out there that climate change is having a significant impact on weather events right across the world. In Australia, here, we’re not immune to that,” she said.

“We’re seeing more devastating events like this happen more frequently. We came to Government in 2022 saying that we have to work more on disaster mitigation and resilience, which is why we put in place… the Disaster Ready Fund.”

Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain says the Federal Government has enacted the Disaster Recovery Allowance in response to the deadly NSW floods.

It comes after Commonwealth disaster recovery payments had been made available for 16 local government areas so far.

“Today I’ve enacted the Disaster Recovery Allowance to look initially at four Local Government Areas, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Dungog and the Mid Coast Council area,” she said.

“That is to assist people who have been impacted with up to 13 weeks’ allowance in lieu of them being able to undertake their usual course of employment.”

Speaking with media in the Canberra-based National Situation Room, Minister McBain was asked how long the Commonwealth disaster recovery payments would be available for, saying: “We are working on that”.