Nationals Party MP Colin Boyce has announced he will challenge David Littleproud for the leadership of the regional party, saying it is currently “committing political suicide” by breaking from the Coalition.
The Queensland federal MP confirmed he will move a spill motion at the Nationals party room meeting on Feb. 1 and put himself forward as a leadership contender, escalating internal turmoil that has followed the party’s second split from the Liberal Party since May 2025.
“I will be moving a spill motion on Monday afternoon in the national party party room to give my colleagues an option, because the reality is, [if] they follow the course they’re on now we are going over the political cliff,” Boyce told Sky News Australia on Jan. 28.
Boyce warned the decision to walk away from the Coalition risked lasting electoral damage, particularly in regional Queensland, where he said voters were already drifting toward the conservative-leaning One Nation .
“David has made some bad decisions recently. He’s upset just about everybody you can possibly upset.”
The move came after Opposition Leader Sussan Ley accepted the resignations of three Nationals senators—Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald, and Ross Cadell—who voted against Labor’s hate speech legislation in the Senate, despite a unified shadow cabinet decision to support the bill with amendments.
Boyce said the fallout had left the Nationals isolated at a critical moment.
“We do have to get this Coalition back together again. It’s a bit like trying to weld a square pipe to a round pipe,” he said.
The MP also warned that contesting the next election alone would expose the Nationals to pressure from minor parties.
“The National party now faces a right-flank onslaught from One Nation if they go it alone to the next election,” he said.
Meanwhile, Littleproud responded with a statement defending his leadership record.
Who is Colin Boyce?
Boyce entered politics two decades ago as a local government councillor in Queensland, before going on to serve as a state MP and later a federal MP in 2022.Prior to that, Boyce worked in the gas sector as a high-pressure pipe welder and spent much of his career as an earthmoving contractor.
Boyce Says He Won’t Defect to One Nation
Boyce’s move has fuelled speculation he could eventually follow former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce into One Nation, amid reports of rising support for the party in central Queensland.The MP dismissed suggestions he was preparing to defect but acknowledged the shift in voter sentiment.
“There’s lots of people say to me [that] I should join One Nation and so forth. That’s not happening for me, I am a member of the LNP [Liberal-National Party]. I am obligated to do the best I can for the LNP and indeed, the National Party in Canberra,” he said.
Boyce also rejected the idea that One Nation could offer him an easy electoral pathway.
“I have an enormous respect for Pauline Hanson, and indeed, for [Chief of Staff] James Ashby, who’s a very good political operator,” he said.
“But the reality is, winning a lower house seat is extremely difficult. And you know, why doesn’t Pauline run for a lower house seat? Why doesn’t Barnaby Joyce run for a lower house seat, and I can answer you that because it’s a lot easier to win a Senate seat.
Senator McKenzie Surprised by Boyce’s Move
Meanwhile, Senator Bridget McKenzie said Boyce’s leadership challenge came as a surprise.“The Nationals party room met just last week and was united in its opposition to Labor’s unfair gun laws and their rushed approach to flawed hate laws legislation,” McKenzie said, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Members were rock solid in support of their shadow ministers who upheld the will of the party room,” she said.
In addition, McKenzie said she did not believe there was a change of sentiment inside the party since the recent split with the Liberals.
“This spill motion has come out of the blue. I don’t believe the party room has changed since last week’s events,” she said.
