Nationals spill: Barnaby Joyce to challenge Michael McCormack

Resources Minister Matt Canavan has offered Michael McCormack his resignation as he backs Barnaby Joyce to become Nationals leader.

Nationals leader Michael McCormack (left) is standing firm against Barnaby Joyce’s push for his job.

Resources Minister Matt Canavan has offered Michael McCormack his resignation as he backs Barnaby Joyce to become Nationals leader, declaring he is as an “effective fighter” that can cut through in regional Australia.

The Queensland senator did not know if Mr Joyce had the numbers to defeat Mr McCormack but said new leadership was required.

“These things are always judgement calls. Obviously it’s not something I’ve come to overnight but it’s also something that has built up over experience of course,” Senator Canavan said.

“Michael’s been a tireless campaigner for the bush. One thing that has changed is the broader environment we face in regional Australia. We struggle to get our voice heard, there is more need for a Nationals party now than there ever has been before because of that and so we just have to fight a bit harder.”

Resources Minister Matt Canavan. Picture: AAP

Senator Canavan will not contest the deputy leadership position.

“Barnaby has proven himself as a stayer. As he said today, he’s not perfect but cast the first stone and he’s just got a show of resilience I think the Australian people respect,” Senator Canavan said. “He’s an effective fighter and that’s why I’m backing him.”

Mr McCormack said Senator Canavan needed to resign formally to the Prime Minister.

Senator Canavan said it was a matter for Mr McCormack and Scott Morrison as to whether he returns to the frontbench in the event Mr McCormack remains leader.

Senator Canavan also revealed he referred himself to the Prime Minister for failing to disclose an interest in a football club that received a loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF).

“It came to my attention over the past week that I signed up as a regional supporter of the North Queensland Cowboys a number of years ago and did not declare that interest,” Senator Canavan said.

“In November last year the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility announced a loan, an investment, for the North Queensland Cowboys football club and my membership entitles me to a membership of the leagues club.

“I don’t have any control or influence over the football club itself but at the same time that is an interest I should have declared but did not.”

Mr Joyce earlier confirmed he will challenge Michael McCormack for leadership of the Nationals, saying Nationals MP Llew O’Brien’s motion to spill the leadership would be seconded in tomorrow’s partyroom meeting.

“I have informed Mr McCormack I will be standing against him,” Mr Joyce told Sky News.

“You can’t just sit back and say you wish things were better. I have respect for Mr McCormack I think he does a good job. I think the National Party has to be on the balls of its toes as we face some of the most challenging times.

“We have to speak with our own voice and we have to drive agendas because it is going to be an incredibly tough game for people in regional areas.”

Mr Joyce played down suggestions he would only get five or six votes from his 21 Nationals colleagues.

“I don’t think anyone knows which way these things go. I’m only reflecting on the concerns people have brought to my attention,” he said.

Mr Joyce said he had learned lessons from his time on the backbench since losing the deputy prime ministership in February 2018.

“I have had two years to reflect on how to do jobs better. I know that I have my faults I don’t pretend to be perfect,” Mr Joyce said.

“I want to work with my colleagues to make sure that we give ourselves the very best chance to thrive and survive as a political party.

“We are being attacked on all sides. Whether it is Shooters and Fishers, whether it is One Nation, whether it is independent. We have to talk with our own voice in an honest and forthright way.”

Queensland Nationals MP Llew O’Brien will move a motion to spill Mr McCormack’s position and is backing Barnaby Joyce to be the next deputy prime minister.

Mr O’Brien told The Australian he had informed Mr McCormack about his intention to bring forward a vote for a new leader.

The Wide Bay MP said he wanted Mr Joyce to return as leader of the party.

“I’ve spoken to Michael and informed him I will be moving a motion tomorrow,” Mr Llew said.

“I’m not going to say anything further at this stage. This is for the partyroom tomorrow.”

McKenzie fails to endorse McCormack

Earlier, former Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie has failed to endorse her boss Michael McCormack, as she stands by the sports grant scheme which has ended her cabinet career.

The Deputy Prime Minister is now facing a possible spill in Tuesday’s party room meeting, with former leader Barnaby Joyce declaring he will stand if his colleagues push a vote.

Senator McKenzie would not say on Monday afternoon whether she would support Mr McCormack or any alternative Nationals leadership candidates.

“Everyone here who has known me for nearly 10 years knows I’m one of the people that don’t talk to you all about what happens in the party room,” she said in Canberra.

“So there is one vacancy tomorrow, that’s my deputy leadership position.

“In true National Party fashion, I’m sure there will be a Melbourne Cup field of candidates. As one of the most democratic institutions in this Parliament for 100 years, the party room will take its own responsibility.”

Senator McKenzie quit as agriculture minister and deputy ­Nationals leader on Sunday after it was found she breached the ministerial code of conduct. Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Phil ­Gaetjens found Senator McKenzie breached standards by failing to declare she was a member of a Victorian gun club that received a $36,000 grant.

The report, which will not be released, found no wrongdoing in the way grants were distributed, disputing a scathing report by Auditor-General Grant Hehir who argued Senator McKenzie handed out $100m in sports grants before last year’s election without apparent legal authority, favouring marginal seats.

Senator McKenzie said she took full responsibility for her failure to declare the gun club membership, but denied she had any conflict of interest or that her handling of the gun club was biased.

“I accept that my failure to declare my membership to certain sports shooting clubs in a timely manner constituted a breach of the ministerial standards and that is something I take very, very seriously,” he said.

“I do not accept that those memberships were a conflict of interest, I received no personal benefit, they did not inform my decision making at all.

“I am very proud of a program by this government to fund 684 local sports clubs around the country to get Australians more active, and it was a good thing.

“The Secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s report confirms that ministerial discretion was exercised in an appropriate manner. That there was no political bias in my decision making.”

Earlier Mr McCormack stood firm against Mr Joyce’s push for his job, saying there would be no spill and none of his colleagues have told him he has lost their support.

Mr Joyce, the former Nationals leader, confirmed on Monday that he would seek to oust the Deputy Prime Minister, but only if his colleagues push for a vote on the wider leadership.

The party room is due to meet on Tuesday to find a new deputy leader after Bridget McKenzie resigned on Sunday over the sports grants scandal.

Mr McCormack on Monday morning said there would be no spill and claimed he had the “overwhelming” majority support of the 21-strong Nationals party room.

“There is no vacancy for the leadership at the moment of the National Party. I have delivered for regional Australia,” he said.

“I have the support of the National Party and nobody, nobody, has phoned me to say that I haven’t and nobody’s called me to say there is a spill.

“Barnaby Joyce has said he will stand if there is a spill called. No spill has been called and I don’t expect one to be.

“I’m sure Barnaby is ready to be leader if there is a spill called but there’s been no spill called.”

Mr McCormack said if there was ultimately a spill, then he would stand.

Victorian Nationals MP Darren Chester - a close ally of Mr McCormack and a social moderate - has ruled out running for deputy leader.

“The deputy’s role is one where we’re going to need someone who has the potential to unite our party, to put aside any bad blood that might exist afterwards,” he told Sky News.

Mr Chester - currently veterans’ affairs minister in the outer ministry - did not rule out a return to cabinet but said he had “done no deals” to take Senator McKenzie’s spot.

“I have a lot on my plate now. What happens next, happens next,” he said.

The Australian has been told Nationals MPs on Sunday ­approached Mr Joyce, who resigned as deputy prime minister in February 2018, to contest the leadership amid concerns the party was losing ground in ­regional Australia under Mr McCormack.

Mr Joyce said on Monday morning that he had a proven record of delivering both big projects for regional Australia and electoral success for the Nationals.

“I’ve been the leader before and under that we had the maximum number of cabinet ministers that we’ve ever had, we won more seats that we had in about 30 years,” he told the Seven Network.

“We delivered some big changes: inland rail, Regional Investment Corporation, country of origin labelling.

“I believe if people want to investigate if there should be a change, now’s the time to do it - two years before the next election.

“It’s up to other people if they want to do the spill.”

#BREAKING: @Barnaby_Joyce confirms he will stand for Nationals leadership if there is a spill pic.twitter.com/YeZroBd2tc

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) February 2, 2020

Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said Mr Joyce’s pitch for the leadership was a “vote of no confidence” in Mr McCormack.

“The National party is dysfunctional and indeed hopeless,” Mr Fitzgibbon told the Seven Network.

“My concern is a dysfunctional government got a whole lot more dysfunctional, and over the next few days and beyond is about to get more dysfunctional again.”

Mr McCormack has ­announced a Nationals partyroom meeting will be held on Tuesday after a meeting for Monday was cancelled.

Bridget McKenzie was forced to resign over the sports rorts scandal. Picture: AAP

Queensland Nationals MP Llew O’Brien said “anything is possible” at Tuesday’s meeting, ­including a tilt against Mr McCormack as Nationals leader.

“While I don’t know of any challenge to the leader, it is the ­National Party and anything is possible,” Mr O’Brien told The Australian.

The Nationals will vote on a new deputy leader on Tuesday morning, with Water Minister David Littleproud and Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester tipped as potential replacements.

NSW Nationals MP David Gillespie confirmed he would run for the deputy position, which would catapult him from the backbench to the among the most senior nine MPs in the government.

“In the deputy leadership position I will put some spine back in the National Party. I have got the ability to argue the case and get things delivered for the regions,” Dr Gillespie told The Australians.

“We have been through a really difficult period and we need a strong voice.”

With 21 MPs and senators, ­Nationals partyroom elections are notoriously unpredictable and usually involve several candidates. A group of Nationals MPs was understood to be disappointed that Senator McKenzie was pushed out and claimed Mr McCormack should have “dug in” against the Liberals.

If a ballot for the leadership is called, Mr McCormack is expected to have the support of NSW MPs Mark Coulton and Andrew Gee, Queensland MP Michelle Landry and Victorians Mr Chester and Damian Drum.

Ms Landry, the Assistant Minister for Children and Families, poured cold water on the prospects of Mr McCormack being replaced.

“I don’t think there should be any change in leader. Michael McCormack is doing a very good job,” she said. “I’m really sad that this has happened to Bridget. She was a good friend of mine and I thought she was a good minister.”

Mr Gee said “there would be no challenge to Michael”. “He’s ­delivered for the bush and his support is as strong as ever,” Mr Gee said. “The Australian people have made it very clear that they have had a gutful of leadership shenanigans and carry-on. They won’t wear any more of it.”

Mr Drum said Mr McCormack had the support of the partyroom. “It has nothing to do with Michael. He has got fantastic support,” he said. “Bridget didn’t break any laws. I was disappointed she was treated this way.

“We need to be very clear that we don’t have departments dictating what ministers do. It has to be the other way around.”

In a statement, Mr McCormack said he would act as interim agriculture minister and thanked Senator McKenzie for her service as deputy leader since December 2017.

“Senator McKenzie’s energy and enthusiasm in any of her roles are evident to all who meet her and I know she will continue in her ­efforts to serve the people of Victoria and Australia,” Mr McCormack said.

Nationals federal president Larry Anthony said Senator McKenzie would be “sorely missed and a great loss for our agricultural sector”.

“It is with great sadness that we have lost a passionate ­defender of regional Australia from the cabinet and party leadership,” Mr Anthony said. “Bridget was a tireless worker in her ­portfolios.”

Senator McKenzie’s resignation was the first due to conduct under Mr Morrison’s prime ministership.

The decision was based on the findings of an investigation started by Mr Gaetjens two weeks ago in response to the Auditor-General’s revelations that she ignored merit-based recommendations for the grants by Sports Australia.

While she was exonerated over the distribution of grants to ­sporting organisations, Senator McKenzie was found to have ­failed to disclose she was a member of the Wangaratta Clay Target Club when it received a $36,000 grant. “On the basis of that and that is the conflict of interest and the failure to disclose, the minister has tendered her resignation to me,” Mr Morrison said.

Liberal MPs have been defending Senator McKenzie since the scandal broke.

A senior Liberal MP told The Australian her resignation set a “dangerous precedence”. “I really hope that she doesn't go,” the MP said ­before the announcement.

“Ministers should go for real corruption not for this bureaucratic bullshit.”

Anthony Albanese said the sports grants scandal was “bigger than one minister”.

“We still need to get to the bottom of these tawdry sports rorts,” the Opposition Leader said.

“This scandal characterises everything that’s wrong with this government — one that is all about its own interests and not the national interest.”