NSW Liberals meeting to discuss the future of their coalition with the Nationals

ABC NEWS (Australia)

In New South Wales, it's the conservative side of politics dealing with a crisis of its own making. State Liberal MPs will meet tomorrow to discuss the future of their coalition with the Nationals over a feud that could tear them apart.

Transcript

00:00The bad blood began last week when opposition leader Mark Speakman visited Wagga Wagga without

00:07involving the shadow assistant minister for regional New South Wales, Wes Fang.

00:12The Riverina-based Nationals MP took to social media to accuse Mr Speakman of being underhanded.

00:18The leader of the New South Wales Liberals slinks into Wagga Wagga pretending like the

00:22Libs actually care about the Riverina, he wrote.

00:25He didn't even have the courtesy to let me know he was coming.

00:29On Friday night, Mark Speakman moved to sack Mr Fang from the shadow cabinet, saying the

00:34public behaviour of Mr Fang this week makes his positions as shadow assistant minister

00:38untenable.

00:40But the Nationals leader Dougal Saunders refused to accept that decision, saying, as Wes is

00:45a member of the New South Wales Nationals, myself and my leadership team have formed

00:49the view he is unable to be stood down in this way.

00:52It seems parliamentary officials disagree, they've now removed Wes Fang's shadow ministries

00:56from his profile on the parliamentary website.

00:59The next move is a test for the leaders of both parties.

01:01Dougal's got my absolute full support and I know him and Mark have been communicating

01:06and they're looking for a path forward.

01:08The coalition is a house divided.

01:10What you find whenever politicians start to concentrate more on themselves than the people

01:14that they're supposed to represent or to serve, that leads to worse outcomes for people.

01:19The last time the coalition agreement was hanging in the balance was in 2020, when Gladys

01:23Berejiklian successfully stared down John Barilaro's threat to tear it up over koala

01:28policy.

01:29Options being canvassed by the Liberals ahead of tomorrow's meeting include appointing

01:33one of their own to Mr Fang's portfolios or terminating the coalition agreement and

01:38renegotiating a deal before the next election.

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