Alan Vaarwerk

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Alan Vaarwerk

Good afternoon. The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has likened his party’s shock decision to end its formal coalition with the Liberal party to a relationship breakup, saying the decision was about both parties taking “time apart for us to be better”. Nationals MPs voted to formally split with the Liberals for the first time since the 1980s after a breakdown in negotiations with the new opposition leader, Sussan Ley, on Tuesday.

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Alan Vaarwerk

Good afternoon. The Queensland senator Larissa Waters has called for “politics with heart” after being elected the Greens’ new federal leader. The minor party’s 11 senators and lone MP met in Melbourne this afternoon to agree on its fifth parliamentary leader, after Adam Bandt’s unexpected loss at the federal election.

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Alan Vaarwerk

Good afternoon. Liberal party members in New South Wales say they are optimistic Gisele Kapterian can hold off an apparent late surge in support for independent Nicolette Boele, with the result in the seat of Bradfield coming down to the wire. A number of media outlets had called the seat for the Liberals earlier this week, but the latest Australian Electoral Commission figures show the seat back “in doubt”, with Kapterian’s lead slimming to just 80 votes, with about 500 still to be counted.

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Alan Vaarwerk

Good afternoon. Sussan Ley says she will “take the time to get it right” after becoming Australia’s first female opposition leader, narrowly beating Angus Taylor in a party room ballot for the Liberal leadership. Ley’s deputy will be Ted O’Brien,the former energy spokesperson, who fended off a surprise challenge from the Queensland MP Phil Thompson. Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who had announced she would run for deputy leader, withdrew after Taylor lost the leadership ballot.

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Alan Vaarwerk

Good afternoon. Anthony Albanese says Tanya Plibersek is “very positive” about her new role as social services minister, after the prime minister revealed his new frontbench in the wake of Labor’s emphatic election victory. Other big changes in the new cabinet include Michelle Rowland becoming the new attorney general and health minister Mark Butler getting the NDIS .