Australia news as it happened: Liberals and Nationals split put on hold; Liberal Party claims leaked letter exposes McKenzie’s motive to split Coalition; Zoe Daniel considers recount for Goldstein

Thanks for following our live news blog. That wraps up our coverage for today – we will have more for you in the next live news coverage.

Here’s a quick recap of the key stories:

• The Coalition could reunite in coming weeks, as leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud pause action to seek a path forward that could reunite the parties.
• A leaked letter is being used by the Liberals to argue that Bridget McKenzie planned the Coalition rift after Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s defection to the Liberals.
• Labor’s environmental reforms may advance amid Coalition disunity, with Ley open to talks.
• Three people have been found dead and one more remains missing amid worsening floods in northern NSW.
• In the Victorian seat of Goldstein, Zoe Daniel is considering calling for a recount after losing by 128 votes to Liberal Tim Wilson.
• Rio Tinto has begun a global search to replace chief executive Jakob Stausholm, who will step down this year.

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the opening date for federal parliament, with politicians due to return to Canberra on July 22.
• CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith will step down as head of the troubled union to focus on the Victorian branch, saying he can no longer answer for decisions taken by others.
• New evidence and witnesses have emerged in the war crimes investigation into Ben Roberts-Smith, including video of him drinking from a prosthetic leg.

Thanks again for joining us.

Jerusalem: Western countries including Canada and Britain have condemned a decision by Israeli soldiers to fire warning shots near their diplomats during an official visit to the occupied West Bank overnight.

The Israeli military said the large international delegation “deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorised to be” and that soldiers fired “warning shots to distance them away”.

Footage shows individuals running to vehicles with diplomatic number plates as shots are heard in the distance. No injuries or damage were reported during the incident in Jenin.

“The IDF regrets the inconvenience caused,” the Israeli Defence Forces said in a statement, adding it was reviewing the incident.

France, Italy and Canada, which had diplomats among the delegation, said they had summoned the Israeli ambassadors to explain what had happened.

Reuters, AP, Bloomberg

Speaking on Afternoon Briefing, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says if the Coalition divorce were to remain, it could “potentially” help the government pass its proposed nature positive laws.

“The opportunity to get that legislation through needs a willingness from other non-government parties, in the Senate in particular, to get involved and be prepared to talk to us,” she said.

“[Environment Minister] Murray Watt is doing a lot of that consultation, he has been in Perth the last couple of days, starting off consultation there, and we want to get those laws through,” she says.

Joyce says if the Coalition were to reunite, the task of winning the next federal election has been made “much harder” given the recent instability between the warring parties.

“The Labor Party might fail in many areas, but their politics is exceptional,” he said. “And they would absolutely and utterly capitalise on that … I can see that coming a mile away.

“But it’s there. It’s happened. And now you’ve got to manage it.”

Littleproud is asked whether the decision to split from the Liberal Party was made prematurely.

“Why did you split before giving the Liberal Party their own time to go back to their party room and have those discussions which they clearly also needed to have?” Caisley asked.

The Nationals leader said Ley never offered to him that the Liberal party room would meet to discuss.

“The timelines that we were asked to make a decision were predicated on those that were given to us,” he said.

“Obviously, we would’ve liked to negotiate over a longer time. But unfortunately, we couldn’t wait for months when a shadow cabinet needed to be appointed before we came back to parliament – it was going to be beyond the return to parliament.”