The Coalition is straining to stay together, as the Nationals — lead symbolically by Barnaby Joyce — try to forge their own identity separate to the Libs. But the Coalition would be better off staying together to fight Rudd, writes Michelle Grattan.
National Party 
The growing force of Barnaby Joyce
Queensland is critical to federal politics, with a growing population and influential seats, but its parties are a mess. The Nationals criticise the Liberals, the Libs fear the power of the LNP and Barnaby Joyce is just looking after himself, writes Scott Prasser.
How to become a federal MP: the minor parties
Just what does it take to ascend to the lofty heights of federal parliament in a minor party? It seems that compared to the factionally obsessed Libs and Labor, the preselection process is a reasonably democratic one.
Quick, Nats: now’s your time to get out!
As ideological cracks grow deeper and MP numbers drop, being part of the Coalition is no longer working in the National Party’s favour. With the Liberal Party in disarray, now is the perfect time for the Nats to jump ship, says Jack the Insider.
Laying some Peter Dutton myths to rest
Peter Dutton is no great loss to the Liberal Party, and he wasn’t blocked by the Nats in McPherson. Apart from that, everything you’ve read about his preselection failure is true…
Taylor: Showdown in the old partyroom
It’s an old-fashioned shootout in the Coalition partyroom, with climate change policies at 12 paces. But will the Nats decide this town ain’t big enough for the both of them? asks Lenore Taylor.
Coorey: Time for Libs and Nats divorce?
The ETS scheme seems like the last straw for the Coalition relationship between the Liberals and the National Party, writes Phillip Coorey.
Bradfield, the land of true maverick conservatives
All 20 candidates in this Saturday’s Bradfield preselection must be pondering one major question: exactly what do local Liberal Party preselectors in a safe seat look for in a candidate?
Who’s leading the National Party?
95% of Australian voters can’t name the leader of the National Party, Warren Truss. Is it time for the higher-profile Barnaby Joyce to take over as leader? asks Michelle Grattan — after all, 4% of voters already think he is.
Bradfield will be a test for the Liberals, mark my words
Byelections can no longer be guaranteed to record good results for Opposition parties. So how will the Bradfield byelection play out? If the Liberal share is less than 58%, it’ll be bad news for Malcolm Turnbull.
Lack of green policy alienates Nationals’ key voters
The Nationals have launched a new slogan ‘Nationals for Regional Australia’, except their lack of concrete policies on climate change or the environment, are doing little to encourage regional support from coastal areas.
Turnbull and Joyce: the soon-to-be past and the likely future
The Liberals and the Nationals are still at a crossroads with their respective leaderships. Who can lead the Liberals to minimise the bleeding at the next election? When will Barnaby Joyce get enough support for the leadership?
Measuring the National Party’s decline
Possum Comitatus charts decline in National Party seats from 1996 to 2007 and finds it’s not as big as most are making out.
Ain’t no party like a National Party
The National Party ran its national conference over the weekend, and The Oz appears to have caught party fever, running across the board coverage from this important national event this morning.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Nuclear power and relations with China
Crikey readers weigh in on nuclear power, relations with China and the politics between the Greens and the Nationals.
Water authority would dampen business plans
Water management shouldn’t be a tug of war between private enterprise and government. Australia needs a national water authority to manage, regulate and allocate water, writes Bruce Haigh and Kellie Tranter.
Will the Nationals quit the Coalition?
The National Party is discussing leaving the Coalition, amid frustration at poor polling, opinions being ignored by Liberals, and a lack of focus on regional Australia, writes Matthew Franklin.
Farmers and Nats don’t see eye-to-eye on climate change
The ABS has surveyed the views of farm managers on climate change and its effects on their business, finding the impacts from climate change are overwhelmingly seen to be negative — a far cry from the National Party line on climate change, says Possum Comitatus.
Crazy uncle Tuckey and the Coalition crash
The Coalition are tearing each other apart, with Joe Hockey likening Wilson Tuckey to the “the crazy uncle at a family wedding” and Warren Truss turning on Turnbull, as the ETS divides the party room.
