Senator Bridget McKenzie disputes the reasons behind the Coalition's split | 7.30

Key Concepts:

• Devestature powers for supermarkets
• Mobile phone coverage in regional areas
• Lifting the moratorium on nuclear energy
• Regional Australia Future Fund ($20 billion)
• Coalition agreement/policies
• Shadow cabinet solidarity
• National Party's decision to leave the Coalition

1. National Party's Reasons for Leaving the Coalition

• Guarantee on Key Policies: The National Party sought a written guarantee from the Liberal leader, Susan Lee, that four specific policies would be upheld as Coalition policies:
  • Devestature powers for supermarkets.
  • Improved mobile phone coverage in regional areas.
  • Lifting the moratorium on nuclear energy.
  • Retention of the $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fund.
• Lack of Assurance: Susan Lee could not provide this written guarantee, leading the National Party room to decide to leave the Coalition.
• Pragmatism: The National Party considered themselves pragmatic and focused on the reality in front of them, both in local communities and in parliament.
• Policy Focus: Senator McKenzie emphasized that the decision was solely based on these four policies, which the National Party had fought for in the previous parliament.

2. The Issue of Shadow Cabinet Solidarity

• Susan Lee's Claim: According to Susan Lee, a key sticking point was the National Party's demand for freedom for its shadow cabinet members not to adhere to shadow cabinet decisions.
• McKenzie's Rebuttal: Senator McKenzie denied that this was a factor in the National Party's decision-making process. She stated that the decision was based solely on the four policy guarantees.
• Conflicting Accounts: There is a clear discrepancy between Susan Lee's account and Senator McKenzie's account regarding the importance of shadow cabinet solidarity in the negotiations. Susan Lee's office maintains that it was a sticking point and that they have this in writing.

3. Policy Freedom and Future Direction

• Broader Policy Debate: Freed from the constraints of the Coalition, the National Party aims to pursue a broader public debate on various policy areas, including taxation, families, water policy, and energy.
• Focus on Regional Australia: The National Party intends to represent the interests of the 9 million Australians who live outside of capital cities.
• Aggressive Policy on Devestature: The party room is comfortable with the four policies they took to the election and will pursue them.

4. Personal and Political Risks

• Senate Ticket Position: Senator McKenzie acknowledged that she and other members of the National Party were aware of the personal and political risks associated with leaving the Coalition, including the potential loss of her position on the Senate ticket at the next election.
• State Bodies' Role: Decisions regarding Senate ticket positions are made by state bodies (e.g., Victorian state nationals, New South Wales state nationals, and the LNP in Queensland).

5. Historical Context and Coalition Dynamics

• Unprecedented Situation: Senator McKenzie described the situation as unprecedented, as the Liberal leader had discarded all coalition policies after losing the election.
• Past Practices: In the past, coalition policies were typically left on the table even after an election loss.

6. Key Quotes and Statements

• "The issue here is that Susan Lee could not give our party room the guarantee we sought...she couldn't give that guarantee to us she refused to she put it in writing we put that to our party room and our party room decided we were to leave the coalition." - Bridget McKenzie
• "I can categorically tell you why we made the decision we did and what that was based on it's why we sought in writing from the Liberal leader uh her guarantee around those four policy areas" - Bridget McKenzie
• "It is not correct to suggest that shadow cabinet solidarity was not a sticking point and they that is Susan Lee's office have that in writing" - Note from Susan Lee's office

7. Technical Terms and Concepts

• Devestature Powers: Powers to force large supermarkets to divest assets to increase competition.
• Moratorium on Nuclear Energy: A ban on the development and use of nuclear energy.
• Regional Australia Future Fund: A $20 billion fund intended to support local economies in regional Australia.
• Shadow Cabinet Solidarity: The principle that members of the shadow cabinet must publicly support the decisions made by the shadow cabinet.

8. Synthesis/Conclusion

The National Party's decision to leave the Coalition stemmed from a lack of assurance from the Liberal leader regarding the continuation of four key policies. While Senator McKenzie insists that the decision was solely based on these policy guarantees, Susan Lee's office maintains that the National Party's demand for freedom from shadow cabinet solidarity was also a significant sticking point. The move allows the National Party to pursue a broader policy agenda focused on regional Australia, but it also carries personal and political risks for its members. The conflicting accounts highlight the complex dynamics and disagreements within the former Coalition.