Senior Liberal: Coalition split allows us to get our ‘mojo juice’ back

A potential future Liberal Party leader believes the Coalition’s break-up will allow the party to adopt policies that will help it reverse the devastating losses it suffered in the cities in the election two weeks ago and in 2022.

Melbourne MP Tim Wilson, the day after his re-election was confirmed, told The Nightly the Liberal Party needed to assert itself after years of being forced to strike compromises with its more conservative, rural-based partner.

“The election result shows we need to get our Liberal mojo juice back,” he said.

“As a junior partner in any coalition the Nationals should be strong, but we need to be even more confident and bold about who we are, what we stand for and who we stand for. This gives us that chance.”

His comments illustrate a divide within the Liberal Party over the dissolution of the Coalition.

While former leaders John Howard and Tony Abbott and other senior Liberals have expressed dismay at the loss of a partnership that won government four times since World War II, younger Liberals see the break as an opportunity to rebuild the party’s support among urban voters, which has collapsed this decade.

Lobbying for jobs

The new all-Liberal frontbench is expected to appointed in the next few days after recriminations over the split subside.

Mr Wilson has been speculated as a shadow treasurer, although that will depend on whether deputy leader Ted O’Brien decides to take the high-profile portfolio. By tradition, the party’s deputy is allowed to choose their job in opposition and government.

The Nationals will no longer be considered part of the opposition, meaning they get no shadow ministers, who receive around $60,000 in extra pay and more staff.

Asked if he would agree to the Nationals’ request for political advisers in addition to the electorate officers assigned to all MPs, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was sceptical, although said it would be considered.

“Clearly it is not reasonable that there be more staff or a reward, if you like, for the fact that this division has occurred,” he said in Canberra after returning from the Pope’s inauguration at the Vatican.

Blame game

While some Liberals, including Mr Abbott and Mr O’Brien, called for the coalition to resume soon, others accused the Nationals of triggering the breakup by making demands that could not be met.

“(Nationals leader) David Littleproud also wanted National members of the shadow cabinet to be allowed to vote differently and against Liberal Party members,” shadow Attorney-General Michaela Cash said. “This was an untenable request.”

The Liberal finance spokeswoman, Jane Hume, said: “The Nationals wanted the ability to essentially dissent in Cabinet to walk out of Cabinet with some people with one view and some people with another.”

Mr Littleproud and other senior members of his party have said the breakup was over four areas of policy: nuclear power, phone subsidies, a rural-based budget fund and a law that can force supermarkets to sell outlets.

Under political conventions, all ministers and shadow ministers have to publicly support decisions, even if they disagree with them. Known as cabinet solidarity, the approach may have caused difficulties for the Nationals if new Liberal Leader Sussan Ley forced change to a plan to build seven nuclear power plants.

Nationals like the policy, which they see as a way to meet Australia’s obligation of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 without shutting down coal-fuelled power stations.

Mr Littleproud said the Coalition’s campaign failed to convince voters the plan was worthwhile. Former Liberal leader Peter Dutton was the policy’s leading advocate, supported by Mr O’Brien.

“We couldn’t sell that,” Mr Littleproud said. “We didn’t sell that. We weren’t agile enough.”

A question of timing

Differences with the Nationals over the split emerged Wednesday, and one party MP appeared to imply the timing was insensitive towards Ms Ley, whose mother died Saturday morning.

Mr Littleproud informed his Liberal counterpart of the decision about half an hour before Tuesday’s public announcement.

“The decision was made very quickly – very, very, quickly – and I mourn for Sussan’s mother,” former Nationals leader Michael McCormack said.

The funeral of Ms Ley’s mother, widow Angela Braybrooks, will be held on Friday in the NSW town of Albury.

The Nationals’ new deputy, Kevin Hogan acknowledged there was internal opposition, saying “it wasn’t unanimous, but it was quite conclusive”.

The National Party and Liberal Party will now be free to propose different polices, including on energy, which long caused tensions within the Coalition, and rural subsidies, which have been resisted by some city-based Liberals.

Former Liberal leader Tony Abbott joined Ms Ley and Mr O’Brien in expressing a desire for the parties’ alliance to resume.

“I deeply regret the Coalition split and hope that it can be re-formed as soon as possible,” Mr Abbott said.

But Mr Littleproud indicated his party did not foresee a new coalition before the next election, which pundits believe the Liberal Party now has even less chance of winning than it did before Tuesday’s separation.

“If we get to a juncture after the next election where we can form a government with the Liberal Party, then obviously we’re going to support the Liberal Party but there will be conditions,” he said.