Australia's ruling coalition divided by vote deal with One Nation

Sydney

A STATE premier's desperate move to win re-election by striking an electoral deal with the far-right One Nation party drove a wedge between partners in the ruling coalition on Monday, as Australia's conservative politics faced a lurch to the right.

In an unprecedented move, the Western Australian state leader of the Liberal Party, the senior partner in the governing Liberal-National coalition, agreed on a vote-sharing deal with One Nation at state elections next month.

The deal showed the influence now wielded by One Nation, which advocates protectionism and anti-immigration policies, since its return from 20 years in the political wilderness at nationa…