Australia's Liberal-National Coalition, the country's main opposition, reunited on Sunday, more than two weeks after the centre-right partners split in a row over hate speech laws. The Coalition is back together and looking to the future, not to the past, Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley said, appearing alongside National Party leader David Littleproud in Canberra.
The Coalition split on 22 January after the Nationals, citing free speech concerns, refused to back reforms moved by the government following the tragic Bondi Beach attack, where two gunmen targeted a Jewish festival, resulting in 15 fatalities. It's been disappointing, we've got to where we are but it was over a substantive issue, Littleproud stated.
The split came during a challenging political period for the Coalition, which suffered a significant election defeat last year. This division marks the second in less than a year, with the previous split occurring over climate and energy policies. In this instance, the issue arose from hate speech reforms introduced by the centre-left Labor government.
While the Liberals aligned with the government's stance, the Nationals abstained from voting in the lower house and opposed the bill in the Senate, arguing the legislation was hasty and threatened free speech. The proposed laws aim to ban groups promoting hate and introduce stricter penalties for those advocating violence.
Ley emphasized the Coalition's responsibility to strategize their return to governance, acknowledging the difficulties faced by many supporters. She indicated that an agreement has been reached to prevent either party from unilaterally changing decisions made by the Coalition's shadow cabinet.
Having not experienced a split since 1987, the Coalition now faces challenges not only from internal divisions but also from the rising popularity of populist parties like Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, all while navigating the aftermath of a heavy electoral loss.
The Coalition split on 22 January after the Nationals, citing free speech concerns, refused to back reforms moved by the government following the tragic Bondi Beach attack, where two gunmen targeted a Jewish festival, resulting in 15 fatalities. It's been disappointing, we've got to where we are but it was over a substantive issue, Littleproud stated.
The split came during a challenging political period for the Coalition, which suffered a significant election defeat last year. This division marks the second in less than a year, with the previous split occurring over climate and energy policies. In this instance, the issue arose from hate speech reforms introduced by the centre-left Labor government.
While the Liberals aligned with the government's stance, the Nationals abstained from voting in the lower house and opposed the bill in the Senate, arguing the legislation was hasty and threatened free speech. The proposed laws aim to ban groups promoting hate and introduce stricter penalties for those advocating violence.
Ley emphasized the Coalition's responsibility to strategize their return to governance, acknowledging the difficulties faced by many supporters. She indicated that an agreement has been reached to prevent either party from unilaterally changing decisions made by the Coalition's shadow cabinet.
Having not experienced a split since 1987, the Coalition now faces challenges not only from internal divisions but also from the rising popularity of populist parties like Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, all while navigating the aftermath of a heavy electoral loss.
