Mark Speakman faces first leadership challenges as Nats fire shot over election results

Liberal leader Mark Speakman may have just settled into his seat at the helm of the Coalition but the Nationals are ready to go to war over the state election results, demanding more frontbench seats.

Nationals’ leader Paul Toole will push for his party to have more frontbench positions while taking a shot at their Coalition partners, saying “the reason we’re in opposition is not because of the performance of the National Party”.

It comes as new Liberal leader Mark Speakman couldn’t confirm if senior Liberals including ex-Premier Dominic Perrottet and Matt Kean would make up his front bench, which will be confirmed just the day before parliament returns.

Mr Toole said the shadow frontbench needs to be “sorted sooner rather than later” so the Coalition could respond to Labor’s attacks on them.

He added the Nationals’ performance in the election – they lost just one of their seats compared to the Liberals’ 11 – meant he’d push for a bigger presence on the opposition frontbench.

“The Nationals retained the majority of their seats, the reason we’re in opposition is not because of the performance of the National Party so therefore I think it’s right the Nationals take on a number of shadow minister portfolios that are relevant to regional and rural NSW,” Mr Toole said.

New Liberal leader Mark Speakman. Picture John Grainger

Deputy Premier Paul Toole. Picture: David Swift

He said pushing for the Nationals to have more shadow ministers was “definitely going to be a conversation we’re going to be having over the coming days”.

The Liberals only settled on a leader on Friday – almost four weeks after their election loss – with Mr Toole saying a frontbench had to be settled on quickly.

Mr Speakman has yet to nominate his frontbench but is expected to try and overhaul rules to allow Natalie Ward to be his deputy. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“You need a good opposition and we need this sorted sooner rather than later … we really need to start appointing people to positions to start calling the government out on decisions and announcements they are making right now,” he said.

Mr Speakman wouldn’t confirm members of his frontbench on Monday, but did say he wants to see more women in the shadow cabinet.

“I don’t at the moment want to say which individuals are in or out, certainly I want to tap the corporate knowledge and experience of as many former ministers as possible. And I‘m also very keen to see increased female representation,” he said.

Mr Speakman also faces a battle within his own party to overhaul rules to allow Upper House MP Natalie Ward to be elected deputy leader, a position traditionally held by a lower House member.

The new Liberal leader said “It‘s an issue of principle to make sure that we have the widest possible choice” when asked about amending rules to allow Upper House MPs to contest the party’s top two leadership positions.