How the coalition split up for a second time in a year

* For the second time since the May 2025 federal election, the Nationals have broken away from the coalition partnership with the Liberals

* Nationals leader David Littleproud declared no one in his party could serve in a shadow cabinet led by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley

HOW WE GOT HERE

* A coalition joint party room meeting on Sunday approved anti-hate measures proposed by Labor in the wake of the Bondi massacre

* National frontbenchers were present at the meeting but the junior coalition partner was concerned about discontent over the laws' implications for political rights such as freedom of speech

* The spark igniting the political divorce occurred when three Nationals senators broke the convention of shadow cabinet solidarity by voting against hate crimes laws on Tuesday

* Senior Nationals Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald tendered their resignations to Ms Ley

* Ms Ley on Wednesday announced she had accepted the three resignations, despite Mr Littleproud writing a letter to Ms Ley urging her not to accept them, arguing a final position on the bill had not been approved by shadow cabinet

* In response, the Nationals leader and the other nine Nationals shadow cabinet members tendered their resignations, but Ms Ley did not accept them 

* By Thursday morning, Mr Littleproud had announced the partnership with the Liberals under the leadership of Ms Ley was over

* Ms Ley has abstained from media during the national day of mourning for the victims of the Bondi terror attack

WHAT'S BEEN SAID

"This is a national day of mourning and my responsibility as leader of the opposition and leader of the Liberal Party is to Australians in mourning" - Opposition Leader Sussan Ley

"Sussan Ley has put protecting her own leadership ahead of maintaining the coalition" - Nationals leader David Littleproud

"This process by Mr Littleproud is totally and utterly chaotic" - former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce

Australian Associated Press