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 as the Mid North Coast battles devastating floods which has left one man dead.

“There are obviously reports of an individual man who’s lost his life in the floodwaters. We’re very sorry about that. That must be devastating for his family and for his community, and that community will take time to rebuild and recover as a result of that death,” he said.

“I must also say that we’re bracing for more bad news in the next 24 hours. This natural disaster has been terrible for this community. It’s affected a wide number of people. It’s affected tens of thousands of houses and, as a result, we are bracing for more bad news.

“I can report that we’re expecting 100mm of rain in the general area of operations over the next 24 hours, but in isolated areas it could get between 200mm and 300mm, which again is not what we need, given the huge amount of rainfall that’s fallen in the last 48 hours.”

NSW Police PolAir crews have rescued 22 people from flood-affected homes and roads on the Mid North Coast as the flood emergency continues.

In the past 24 hours, PolAir performed 18 winch rescues, saving residents along with four dogs and a cat.

Notable incidents included rescuing seven people, including a woman and her two-year-old child, from homes in Coolongolook, and winching two elderly people to safety after they became stranded on their car roof.

Four truck drivers were also rescued from a bridge on the M1 at Ghinni Ghinni, and essential medication was delivered to paramedics at Old Bar.

“The safety of the community is our priority, and our officers will continue their efforts responding to calls for help right across the region,” Acting Superintendent Allan Simpson said.

He urged locals to stay vigilant and heed emergency warnings: “Let’s work together to keep everyone safe.”

Emergency services have responded to more than 4,100 incidents and completed over 500 flood rescues since Monday.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has renewed his criticism of the split between the Liberal and National parties, calling into Sydney’s 2GB radio to label the rift a “recipe for permanent opposition”.

“It’s deeply regrettable because the history shows that the Coalition wins together and loses separately. It’s very important that there is a strong and clear alternative to a deeply underwhelming government,” Mr Abbott said.

“If the Libs and the Nats go their separate ways, we won’t have one strong opposition, we’ll have two opposition parties that are fighting each other as much as they’re fighting a bad government.”

Mr Abbott urged both parties to reunite as soon as possible, saying, “Let’s get over the electoral PTSD and let’s get back together again as quickly as possible. Let’s not shoot yourself in the foot by walking away from your political family.”

A leaked letter has ignited claims that Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie was considering a Coalition split even before Sussan Ley became Liberal Leader.

The letter, sent to Liberal Senate leader Michaelia Cash on May 12, came days after Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price quit the Nationals to join the Liberals.

The Nationals have argued the Coalition break-up was about policy, but the letter shows a split was being weighed as soon as Senator Price left.

The document warns that losing party status in the Senate would have “significant implications for The Nationals Senate team as well as the wider Coalition.”

“It is understood Senator Nampijinpa Price’s defection to sit in the Liberal Party room is associated with overtures from the Liberal Party and an intention to stand for a leadership position in the Parliamentary Liberal Party,” the letter, published by News Corp, said.

“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.

“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.

In the final line, McKenzie makes the threat explicit: “Depending on the outcome of negotiations between our two parties over coming weeks, The Nationals Senate Party room will need to consider our position with respect to sitting with the Liberal Party as Coalition in the Senate chamber.”

Sussan Ley was elected Liberal leader just 24 hours later on Tuesday, May 13, and within a week the Coalition collapsed for the first time since the 1980s.

Former Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe has raised his concerns over Labor’s proposed unrealised capital gains tax changes, saying he is “not convinced” Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ plan is “good public policy”.

“I am a supporter of good public policy design, but I am not convinced this is an example of it,” Dr Lowe told The Australian.

“We should be exploring other ways to adjust the concessional tax rates on high super balances.”

Since the Federal election win, the Albanese Government has pushed ahead with their plans to tax Australians who have a superannuation balance over $3 million in an attempt to fix the deficit.

Reports have filtered through overnight that over 50,000 people are stranded in northern NSW and the Premier of NSW has mobilised every available rescue service to help.

“We have got a massive taskforce on the Mid North Coast,” Mr Minns told Matt Shirvington and Natalie Barr on Sunrise on Thursday.

“2,500 emergency workers, including 2,200 SES. Many of them, Nat, you would know are volunteers.

“They leave their family, their business, their work, to go up and help people. They have done a really good job in difficult circumstances.

“Obviously we need to make sure that when helicopters go up. we have got 13 helicopters on site, but they only go up when the weather conditions are safe.

“So, the primary message we have to get out to the community is if there is an evacuation order or a prepare to evacuate order, please listen to officials.

“It is a decision that will save your life, and we need people to heed those warnings, particularly over the next 24 hours.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has spoken to Sunrise host Matt Shirvington this morning to deliver a concerning update on the developing flood crisis on the north coast.

“We had grave fears going into last night that there would be people who didn’t survive this terrible natural disaster and our worst fears have come true,” Mr Minns said mentioning the sad death of a man on Wednesday.

“We will have to brace for the next 24 hours as well.

“We are not out of the woods yet. There is a massive amount of rain still falling on the north coast. They are a resilient community but they will have to ride out what has been a terrible 48 hours.”

As New South Wales reels from devastating floods that are rapidly becoming one of the worst to ever inundate the north coast, the prime minister has spoken about the news a person has died.

“This is devastating news that a man has died at a residence impacted by flooding on the New South Wales Mid North Coast,” Mr Albanese said on Thursday morning.

“The thoughts of all Australians are with his loved ones and the community at this time.”

Read the full report here.

The United Kingdom and allies including Australia have issued an advisory warning of a Russian state-sponsored cyber campaign targeting the delivery of support to Ukraine and international logistics entities and technology companies.

“This malicious campaign by Russia’s military intelligence service presents a serious risk to targeted organisations, including those involved in the delivery of assistance to Ukraine,” Paul Chichester, Director of Operations at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said.

The campaign has also targeted defence, IT services, maritime, airports, ports and air traffic management systems sectors in several members of the NATO military alliance.

GRU Unit 26165 - also known as APT 28 or Fancy Bear - is said to have gained access to some networks using a range of techniques, including guessing log-in credentials and spear-phishing, where specific individuals or organisations are targeted in an effort to gain access to a network.

Wednesday’s advisory was issued in conjunction with Australia, the United States, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France and the Netherlands, warning organisations of the elevated threat and urging immediate action to protect themselves.

Read the full storyr here.

The man who led the Nationals during its last divorce from the Liberals believes the coalition partners will eventually reunite.

Ian Sinclair was leader of the Nationals during the coalition’s five-month split in 1987, which was triggered by then-Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s push to enter federal parliament.

The “Joh for Canberra” campaign drove a wedge through conservative politics and collapsed without widespread support.

Mr Sinclair is confident the latest trial separation will not last forever, saying a split after an election wasn’t unusual and issues would eventually be resolved.

“It has happened before and will happen again,” the 95-year-old told AAP.

“It’s quite a healthy thing.”

Party leader David Littleproud pulled the Nationals out of the coalition after Liberal Leader Sussan Ley said she couldn’t commit to four policy demands, including keeping nuclear power as part of an energy policy.

Read the full story here.