Australian Coalition Reunites After 17-Day Split

Australia's opposition Coalition, comprising the Liberal and National parties, reunited on Sunday after a 17-day split sparked by disagreements over hate speech legislation. Liberal leader Sussan Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud announced the reconciliation at a joint press conference in Canberra, emphasizing a renewed focus on scrutinizing the Labor government.

The rift began on January 22, when three Nationals frontbenchers—senators Ross Cadell, Bridget McKenzie, and Susan McDonald—voted against the Coalition's agreed position on the government's anti-hate laws. These measures, passed by parliament in response to the December Bondi massacre that killed 15 people, aimed to address antisemitism and other forms of hate speech. The senators' actions, aligned with a Nationals party room decision but defying shadow cabinet solidarity, led to their resignations, which Ley accepted. In response, the Nationals withdrew en masse from shadow cabinet positions, marking the second Coalition fracture in nine months.

Negotiations intensified in the days leading up to the deadline Ley had set for Sunday, with both leaders facing internal pressures. Littleproud initially rejected any...