Former deputy prime minister John Anderson has delivered a stark message to the Coalition, urging it to confront its internal rifts head-on following Barnaby Joyce’s decision to leave the National Party.

Speaking to Sky News host Chris Kenny, Mr Anderson said the party’s turmoil had reached a point where “the arguments are there” and must now be dealt with openly and decisively.

“I don’t buy this line that the strength is in diversity, quite frankly,” he said.

“I’m with Abraham Lincoln - a house divided cannot stand. So, the Coalition, given that its differences have spilled out into the open arena, the arguments are there.

“We might as well have them in a full-blooded way, establish what we actually believe in and go forward with some clarity and some conviction and some unity so the

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