The parties have been riven by very real personal and ideological tensions before, and still have joined forces when moments of truth have arrived.

Together in various forms for the best part of 100 years, the thrice-divorced Liberal-National Coalition is again trialling a conscious uncoupling. What does that mean for the federal parliament?

Australia's Liberal-National coalition - currently the nation's main opposition political party - has split after a partnership lasting almost 80 years. The move marks a seismic change in the country's political landscape and comes just weeks after a federal election that saw Labor win a second term in a landslide victory.