Coalition split: Jacinta Price puts pressure on Sussan Ley after Liberals-Nationals break up for second time

Firebrand conservative senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has stoked the flames of leadership speculation after the Liberals and Nationals broke up for the second time since the Federal Election.

After dumping the near-century-old political alliance, Nationals leader David Littleproud declared on Wednesday his party would not reunite with the Liberals while Sussan Ley remained Opposition leader.

“Our party room has made it very clear that we cannot be part of a shadow ministry under Sussan Ley,” he told reporters in Brisbane.

Insiders from both parties believe this split will last much longer than the previous week-long split following Labor’s landslide election victory in May 2025.

Senator Price, who moved from the Nationals party room to the Liberals after the election, has previously said she does not have confidence in Ms Ley’s leadership.

“I think I made it very clear that obviously the leader had lost trust in me, lost faith in me, and I suppose I felt the same at the time,” she told Sky News on Thursday night.

“I don’t feel like things have improved ... this is a decision for the partyroom ultimately,” Senator Price said.

Liberals are preparing for a challenge to Ms Ley’s leadership, likely when Parliament returns in February, although exact details on the timing have not been locked in.

Conservatives Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie are seen as Ms Ley’s most likely successors.

But one Liberal source described Mr Hastie as “One Nation-lite”, warning his brand of fiery conservative politics would do little to win over new voters.

Mr Taylor also carries baggage from his time as shadow treasurer, with some Liberals claiming he did not do enough to develop economic policy in the lead-up to the election.

Rumours of a possible challenge to Mr Littleproud are also swirling.

Former Nationals frontbencher Susan McDonald insisted Mr Littleproud’s position was safe at the moment, and said she hoped the Coalition partners could rejoin forces quickly.

But she warned the reunion would not happen straight away.

“I’m very optimistic that the Coalition will get back together at some point, because we know that united, we are stronger,” she told AAP.

“However, at the moment, circumstances are that I think that is unlikely in the near term.”

On Wednesday night, the entire Nationals frontbench tendered their resignations, breaking up the Coalition for the second time since the last Federal election.

Mr Littleproud said he was preparing a new frontbench made up of only Nationals members - a sign the split might last for some time.