The Nationals have defied shadow cabinet solidarity, voting in the Senate against the government’s hate crime legislation, which passed late Tuesday night with the support of the Liberals.
The Nationals’ action puts new strain on Coalition relations, and is destabilising for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who did the deal with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to support the legislation in return for concessions.
The four Nationals senators voting against the legislation were frontbenchers Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald, and backbencher Matt Canavan.
