Nationals MP Darren Chester told Sussan Ley her recollection of the events leading to the vote on Labor’s hate crime legislation, in which three Nationals senators broke shadow cabinet rules when they voted against the Coalition’s position on the draft laws, was “inconsistent” with his memory.
He also challenged the Liberal leader’s decision to accept the resignations of the Nationals senators.
In a letter tendering his resignation to Ley on Wednesday night, Chester maintained that shadow cabinet reached an “inconclusive outcome” on the legislation at its Sunday meeting, and that no further discussions confirmed the Coalition’s position before the vote on Tuesday evening.
Nationals MP Darren Chester pictured in 2022.Simon Schluter
“It’s hard to argue there was a breach of shadow cabinet solidarity when the Coalition didn’t reach a final position in accordance with normal processes,” wrote Chester, who served as shadow veterans’ affairs minister before his resignation.
“In that policy vacuum, the Nationals met on several occasions and endeavoured to find a pathway forward to improve the bill by eliminating unintended consequences … I support the position taken by the leader of the Nationals and the party room to endorse our senators voting against the bill in question.”
Nationals leader David Littleproud confirmed this morning that the party would walk away from the Coalition, marking the second time in eight months that Australia’s conservative bloc has disbanded.