Nationals leadership ballot: David Littleproud withdraws
FIRST-TERM Queensland MP David Littleproud withdrew from the Nationals leadership contest late last night after coming within two votes of victory, following the Queensland Nationals’ shock 11th-hour push.
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FIRST-TERM Queensland MP David Littleproud withdrew from the Nationals leadership contest late last night after coming within two votes of victory.
The Queensland Nationals had launched a shock 11th-hour bid to scorch Michael McCormack’s free-run to the deputy prime ministership, working overtime to lock-in support for rookie Cabinet Minister Mr Littleproud.
In a statement last night, Mr Littleproud said party unity was important and threw his support behind Michael McCormack.
“I am truly humbled by the significant support I have received from colleagues and others over the past few days,” he said.
“Now is not the time for internal contests. Now is the time for all individuals to be team players. Now is the time to think about stability and the good of the party.
“It is time for The Nationals to get behind Michael McCormack as Leader and focus on delivering for regional Australia together.”
It followed acting leader Bridget McKenzie and chief whip Michelle Landry calling for the party to unite behind a single candidate.
Mr Littleproud is the MP for Maronoa, whose electorate includes Sir Joh and Barnaby Joyce country, was still weighing up his options until late Sunday night.
The Courier-Mail understands he had a gentlemen’s agreement with Mr McCormack not to run unless he had the numbers to win.
Face-to-face meetings and phone hook-ups were continuing late last night in a late bid to try to secure the 11 votes needed to replace Mr Joyce, who will officially resign this morning in the wake of his affair with former staff member Vikki Campion.
It’s understood Mr Littleproud had supporters across three states and not just his home state.
The rearguard action was spurred on by George Christensen’s call to dismantle the Coalition and the “outrageous” fact Queensland has the same numbers as NSW and double the number of Victorian parliamentarians, but will not hold any leadership position.
Mr McCormack is a NSW MP and will power share with Victorian Senator Bridget McKenzie.
Before Mr Littleproud’s decision to withdraw, sources said “Queensland will not have a deputy prime minister for a generation” if he didn’t win.
Sources said no one in the “Anyone But Barnaby Camp” — a historic group that tried to cruel Mr Joyce’s bid for leadership after the retirement of Warren Truss — should be rewarded for their treachery.
Some believe Mr McCormack was passively involved in leaking against Mr Joyce.
However, three of the eight Queenslanders were not backing Mr Littleproud last night, meaning he would have needed significant support from NSW and Victoria. Some MPs last night remained to be convinced, citing that Mr Littleproud had only been elected to Parliament in 2016, had only been in Cabinet for a few months and was untested.
Their preference was for a “safe pair of hands, needed after the Joyce saga”.
The leadership would have been a fairytale and dramatic rise for the 41-year-old.
Some Nationals were hoping only one candidate would run today but others said no one should be afraid of a contest.
But Queensland Senator Barry O’Sullivan was among others in the party saying it was too soon.
“David has only been there a short period of time, and he certainly doesn’t have the ministerial experience,” he said.
The ballot for leader of the Nationals, who will be deputy prime minister, started at 7am in Canberra this morning.
The ballot for leader of the Nationals is being held after Barnaby Joyce announced on Friday that he would resign, following weeks of scandal over his affair with staffer Vikki Campion, who is now carrying his unborn son.
National party leadership were pushing for an uncontested ballot so the party can unite behind a single candidate as convention holds.
If Queensland had have voted as a block, it would have delivered behind Mr Littleproud eight of the 11 necessary votes to win.
It’s understood that at least two Queensland MPs were yet to be swayed yesterday, while at least one Victorian had come onboard to the Littleproud camp and other interstate MPs were close to coming onboard.
Mr McCormack’s forces were lobbying hard yesterday, but he is seen by some in Queensland as a “southern Nat”. There was a contingent of rusted-on supporters of Barnaby Joyce who were throwing their support behind Mr Littleproud.
Supporters of Mr Littleproud said the Government needs to retain Queensland seats to have any chance of winning the next election. There are three key marginal seats held by Nationals-aligned LNP MPs — Dawson, Capricornia and Flynn, in which he could boost support.
But counting against him was a lack of experience in politics, having been an MP for less than two years and in Cabinet for less than three months.
Another NSW MP David Gillespie also withdrew his nomination after failing to secure the numbers.
Acting Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie indicated that she would prefer one candidate to nominate this morning so there is an uncontested ballot.
“Conventionally around leadership, there usually isn’t a vote,” she told the ABC. “I think it’s important we have a seamless transition tomorrow, that the Coalition agreement negotiated post our election remains in place.”
Chief whip and Capricornia MP Michelle Landry also said an uncontested ballot would be preferable.
Originally published as Nationals leadership ballot: David Littleproud withdraws