David Littleproud has been re-elected as leader of the National Party, fending off a leadership challenge from Queensland Senator Matt Canavan.
Kevin Hogan has been elected deputy leader, while Senator Bridget McKenzie takes over as Nationals leader in the Senate.
The vote was conducted behind closed doors on May 12, with results announced swiftly.
National Party Whip Sam Birrell broke the news to the media, followed by Littleproud, who addressed reporters outside the party room.
Despite the Coalition’s significant federal election loss, Littleproud said he remains proud of the National Party’s accomplishments over the past three years.
“I think we set the policy agenda,” Littleproud said.
Nuclear Policy, Energy Debate Avoided
Littleproud stood firm on the party’s advocacy for nuclear power, saying, “We’ve had the courage on nuclear energy, something that our party room has believed in for a very long time … it was us. It was our party room that delivered it.”However, he refrained from directly addressing future changes to the party’s energy policy, insisting the meeting was focused solely on leadership.
When questioned about how he prevailed over Canavan and whether net zero was discussed, Littleproud steered the conversation back to internal party discussions.
When asked whether the Nationals would back net zero without nuclear, Littleproud declined to speculate.
“I think it’s important to respect the process. That’s what it is to lead the National Party, to respect those that are in that room and the diversity of views in there, and to work to a position that is in the nation’s interests and in regional Australia’s interest,” he said.
He said policy reviews would happen over time, in a similar manner to how the party approached The Voice referendum.
Post-Election Reflection and Party Rebuild
Acknowledging the Coalition’s defeat, Littleproud said, “We’ve got to acknowledge we lost any opportunity to form government and we acknowledge that. But I’m proud of the Nationals and our result.”He defended Nationals Senator Perin Davey, who lost her Senate seat in New South Wales, attributing the outcome to a broader drop in Liberal support.
“That’s a reflection of a drop in the Liberal vote that she’s part of a joint ticket in. But … we’ve had a 10 percent swing, all because of the localised way in which we’ve run a campaign.”
Deputies Stress Need to Rebuild Trust
Hogan said the Nationals must continue working hard to serve regional Australians.“We’re not lazy, we’re not complacent,” she said.
McKenzie echoed the need for reform. She said she was leading “a united, highly intellectual group of fighters on behalf of the 9 million Australians who don’t live in capital cities.”
“The coalition was handed a significant defeat, and we need to listen to the Australian people with humility, understanding that these were collective decisions at both the Liberal and the National Party,” she said.
Canavan Calls for Directional Shift
Canavan, who had announced his challenge on May 9 via social media, argued that Littleproud’s leadership had failed to revive the party’s “fighting spirit.”While acknowledging Littleproud’s opposition to The Voice and support for nuclear energy, Canavan said the Nationals underperformed at the federal level.
He called for a return to the more aggressive campaigning style that saw success with past issues like the carbon tax and Adani coal mine.
“Our policy plan failed to win over the voters, so we need a new plan,” Canavan said.
As a vocal proponent of coal-fired power, Canavan pledged to drop support for net zero if successful. He also prioritised new policies for regional development and population growth.
“Our nation is in decline and we risk passing on a poorer nation to our children,” he said.
“I believe that the only way to avoid this is to have a Liberal-National Coalition that not just wins elections but has the policy mandate for Australia to flourish again.”
