In Australia, the conservative opposition coalition has reached an agreement following a split that occurred in January. This division arose last month when the National Party severed ties with the Liberal Party due to its support for government-initiated hate speech legislation, which was drafted in response to a mass shooting at Bondi Beach. In a press conference held in Canberra, Sussan Ley, the leader of the Liberal Party, and David Littleproud, the leader of the National Party, announced that the coalition is looking forward to the future and planning to move past the disagreements that led to their previous split.

The Australian Parliament had approved the hate speech legislation led by the Labor government in December after a tragic mass shooting in Sydney that resulted in the deaths of 15 people. While the Liberal Party endorsed the legislation, some members of the National Party's senators opposed it, contributing to the factional dispute. This was not the first fracture of the opposition coalition, as it signified the second such occurrence within a year, pointing to underlying tensions within the coalition structure that might need addressing to maintain unity.

Historically, the National Party has represented rural interests broadly, while the Liberal Party has catered to urban constituents. The reconciliation within the coalition might reflect an effort to stabilize their political stance amidst increasingly divided public opinions on issues like hate speech and gun laws in Australia. Moving forward, the coalition leaders aim to unify their efforts in addressing the challenges posed by the current government and represent a consolidated front against the proposed policies from the Labor side.