Nationals not likely to “rush” into a new Coalition; Liberals to give due importance to their issues

Nationals have been pushing away party room colleagues from forming a Coalition agreement with new Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull. MPs and senators have warned to “not rush” into a hasty decision.

Nationals party members prefer their leader Warren Truss to formulate and implement policy deals and restructure the weak economy with cash inflow that would boost Australia’s growth.

On Monday, as Mr Turnbull announced the ballot, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce argued that Turnbull's leadership would put the Liberals-Nationals relationship at stake, pushing it to an “uncertain territory.” He said the Coalition was likely to be renegotiated if Turnball took the prime ministerial seat. He also said that any new Coalition would have to give due attention to the issues deemed important by the Nationals.

Mr Turnbull is disliked by many senior Nationals because of the decisions he undertook over carbon pricing back in 2009 when he was an Opposition leader. Many others are of the opinion that Liberals should be shrugging off their ministerial positions and should act more independently.

Maintaining anonymity, one of the parliamentarians told ABC , “These clowns [the Liberal Party] are making us look like a failed Pacific Island state — why would we want to immediately associate ourselves with them?" post Mr Turnbull's victory.

Nationals MP Matthew Canavan said before the Nationals meeting that politicians misrepresented the people of the country as they placed their interests above others and were more concerned with their jobs, leaving the constituencies, which make them win, unhappy. "I see no need to rush into a Coalition agreement,” he said.

"We will take our time and listen to our people about what they want,” he added. Similarly, Senator Williams told Fairfax Media that party members would hopefully come to a consensus regarding the new leadership and forming of a new Coalition. He insisted that things those are important to the Nationals would have to be taken into consideration. ”I envisage they will be discussed," he said, taking a dig at Mr Turnbull.

He said that Tony Abbott was far more appropriate for the position than Mr Turnbull is, believing that his party would play a significant role in the future. Truss reminded MPs last night that "my Coalition agreement is with Tony Abbott.”

Meanwhile, other Nationals have been upset over Turnball’s failure to pay tribute to their party in his first press conference. However, one Liberal MP said “rubbish,” indicating Nationals' concerns, and said, “What do the Nats seriously think they can achieve on their own? They'll rattle the cage then roll over,” reported ABC.

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