By Zac de Silva

All shadow ministers from the National Party have resigned from the front bench en masse after a schism with the Liberals over hate crime laws, leaving the coalition teetering on the brink of its second break-up in eight months.

The mass resignation comes after Nationals frontbenchers Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald moved to the back bench earlier on Wednesday after voting against the government’s contentious anti-hate legislation in the Senate the previous night.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the move was a breach of shadow cabinet solidarity – a convention that requires all frontbenchers to vote the same way.

The remaining eight Nationals shadow ministers, including leader David Littleproud, agreed to stage a mass walkout from the front bench at an emergency party room meeting on Wednesday night, sources said.

The blanket resignations heap even more pressure on Ms Ley, who has been trying to keep the coalition together since their temporary split after the 2025 federal election.

The latest acrimonious break-up was triggered after the Liberals supported the Labor government’s contentious hate crime laws while the Nationals opposed them.

Ms Ley said the shadow cabinet, which includes senior Liberals and Nationals, had agreed to support Labor’s hate crime legislation.

But on Tuesday night, less than 20 minutes before voting began on the legislation, Mr Littleproud said his party had decided to oppose the reforms if amendments protecting free speech were not successful.

Senators McKenzie, Cadell and McDonald then joined their Nationals colleagues in voting against the bill and offered to resign from the front bench on Wednesday.

Mr Littleproud wrote to Ms Ley shortly after warning the entire Nationals shadow ministry would quit if the opposition leader accepted the trio’s resignations.

“As it was a party room decision, if these resignations are accepted, the entire NationaI party ministry will resign to take collective responsibility,” he wrote.

Mr Littleproud argued the hate crimes legislation was rushed, creating “unique circumstances” which justified the split between the two coalition parties.

“These were unique circumstances created by the arrogance and incompetence of the Albanese government’s process. The Nationals believe strongly that the Liberal and National coalition partnership is the best way to remove this Labor Government,” he told Ms Ley.

If the coalition does split – a prospect being canvassed by MPs – it would be the second break-up since the May 2025 federal election.

That week-long split came after the Nationals made a number of policy demands of the coalition, including a commitment to nuclear power.