The Deputy Premier almost split the Coalition last year but now all seems forgiven. Six months ago, many Liberals were hoping that their increasingly erratic NSW Nationals colleague John Barilaro would not return from a period of self-imposed mental health leave. Barilaro had few friends in the Liberals. The Nationals leader had just led his troops to the precipice in protest against a then little-known koala planning policy, which had been causing tensions in the Coalition for months. Premier Gladys Berejiklian held her nerve and told him to back down or she would appoint an all-Liberal cabinet. The Nationals surrendered and Barilaro was left battered and bruised. He took four weeks off but the Berejiklian-Barilaro relationship has never recovered.