WEBVTT - The Coalition calls it quits – again

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<v Speaker 1>Today's biggest news from The Australian. I'm Christinamio with the

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<v Speaker 1>Front's afternoon headlines. The coalition is done again. National's leader

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<v Speaker 1>David Littlebrowd announced his party was walking away for the

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<v Speaker 1>second time after eight senators quit the shadow cabinet on

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<v Speaker 1>Wednesday night. Little Browd said differing positions on the government's

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<v Speaker 1>new hate speech legislation was behind the split.

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<v Speaker 2>We acted in good fight to get to this position,

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<v Speaker 2>but we could not be forced intoviting for a position.

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<v Speaker 2>The National Party is our own sovereign party and certainly

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<v Speaker 2>cannot force us to vote one mo or.

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<v Speaker 1>Another, the Nationals leader said. Senators Bridget mackenzie, Susan McDonald

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<v Speaker 1>and Ross Caddell, whose resignation from the shadow front bench

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<v Speaker 1>triggered the split, weren't in the wrong when they crossed

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<v Speaker 1>the floor to vote against the amended Hate Speech Bill

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<v Speaker 1>because it didn't go through the usual party room processes.

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<v Speaker 2>This was a rush process. We are talking about national

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<v Speaker 2>security matters with complex legislation, complex legislation that should be

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<v Speaker 2>scrutinized and understood before we're forced to vote on it.

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<v Speaker 2>That was the disappointing fact of it.

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<v Speaker 1>But in her resignation letter to Liberal leader Susan Lee,

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<v Speaker 1>Mackenzie herself acknowledged she'd breached coalition solidarity. Mackenzie shot down

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<v Speaker 1>suggestions National backbencher Matt Canavan is driving from the back seat.

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<v Speaker 3>I can categorically say that Matthew Canavan is not running

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<v Speaker 3>the National Party. The National Party party room this week

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<v Speaker 3>made a very difficult decision to not support the hate

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<v Speaker 3>law bills. We drafted amendments. We were unable to get

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<v Speaker 3>to an agreement with the Liberal Party on what that

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<v Speaker 3>looked like. After all sides acting in good faith and

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<v Speaker 3>doing their very best.

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<v Speaker 1>McDonald said the whole debarcle could have been avoided if

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<v Speaker 1>Lee simply refused the trio's resignations. Little prowd did leave

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<v Speaker 1>the door open to reunification, just not while Susan Lee

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<v Speaker 1>is at the helm. In the meantime, his party will

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<v Speaker 1>keep their distance from the Liberals in Parliament.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we have sat by ourselves, we will sit and

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<v Speaker 2>we will undertake what we have done.

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<v Speaker 1>The Australian's National editor, Dennis Shanahan writes the turmoil within

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<v Speaker 1>the coalition takes the heat of Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi,

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<v Speaker 1>who's been under pressure for his government's response to the

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<v Speaker 1>December fourteenth terror attack at Bondi Beach. Australians observed a

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<v Speaker 1>national day of mourning for the victims of the Bondai

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<v Speaker 1>terror attack on Thursday. The Prime Minister said, it's a

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<v Speaker 1>time for unity.

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<v Speaker 4>It's an opportunity for us as a nation that wrap

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<v Speaker 4>our arms around the Jewish community today we share their grief,

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<v Speaker 4>a grief with no ending, only a beginning.

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<v Speaker 1>Albanzi will address a memorial service at the Sydney Opera

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<v Speaker 1>House on Thursday night and incouraged Australians once again to

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<v Speaker 1>place a candle in their windows to commemorate the dead.

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<v Speaker 1>A moment of silence will be observed at seven oh

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<v Speaker 1>one pm, while flags on state and government buildings will

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<v Speaker 1>be flown at half mast. In Davos, US President Donald

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<v Speaker 1>Trump walked back his threat to impose additional tariffs on

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<v Speaker 1>several European nations at a meeting of the World Economic Forum.

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<v Speaker 1>Trump said he'd reached an agreement on the framework of

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<v Speaker 1>a future deal that would allow the United States to

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<v Speaker 1>acquire Greenland. Trump says the US needs to take control

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<v Speaker 1>of the Danish territory to curb expansion into the region

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<v Speaker 1>by China or Russia, but European leaders, including America's NATO allies,

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<v Speaker 1>have firmly resisted the move, saying it's unnecessary and dangerous.

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<v Speaker 1>Check out those stories live right now at the Australian

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<v Speaker 1>dot com dot a U and come back to the

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<v Speaker 1>front first thing in the morning.