The Latest Breaking News from Coalition

Rural Australia holds the balance of power – if it wants to exercise it – in pretty much every parliament

Remember that cliche about the Nationals tail wagging the Liberal dog? That tail wagged very vigorously this week, and smashed a lot of crockery, as it sought to bring Liberal leader Sussan Ley to heel.

Counting in several extremely close seats continues, but some results have become clearer. In Liberal-held Bradfield, Teal candidate Nicolette Boele has taken the lead, while the Calwell distribution of preferences indicates an independent is on track to pass the Liberals and benefit from their preferences against Labor. Meanwhile, Jacqui Lambie…

The Nationals say they’re doing this ‘for the right reasons’, and part of you has to respect that – provided it’s the part incapable of adding up numbers

The four policy sticking points that broke up the Nationals and Liberals highlight their vastly different stances on privatisation

Some senior Liberal figures think the party could be freed up to chase more urban voters; Britain halts trade talks and calls Gaza policy ‘repellent’

All the day’s news as it unfolded

Reforming with Nationals could be very difficult once deep policy divergences set in and are openly debated, MPs say

I remember seeing footage, several years ago, of a jubilant Malcolm Turnbull, then prime minister and Liberal leader, speaking in Tamworth to loyal members of the National Party. These were the rank and file who had spent weeks stumping for their man in New England, Nationals leader and deputy prime…