Nationals MPs keen to bring Craig Kelly into party if Liberals dump him

Nationals MPs are looking to adopt Craig Kelly and run him as a candidate.

Craig Kelly in the House of Representatives on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

Nationals MPs want their party to consider adopting Craig Kelly in a bid to gain a foothold in the outer suburbs, with the controversial Liberal MP fuelling speculation by saying he would need to “buy some RM Williams boots and an Akubra”.

The comment from Mr Kelly comes ahead of a serious pre­selection threat in his southern Sydney seat of Hughes, with Scott Morrison unlikely to intervene to save him after publicly rebuking him over comments pushing unorthodox COVID-19 treatments and theories.

On Thursday, however, Nationals senator Matthew Canavan said the party should expand its electoral map. “The Liberal Party has taken Nats members into their ranks in the past, so I don’t see any ban on the Nationals welcoming in members of other parties,” he said.

“The Nationals is the true home of the Australian worker and workers are everywhere.”

A proposal to bring Mr Kelly over to the Nationals was floated when he was last at threat of losing preselection at the 2019 election, but the Prime Minister intervened to save him. Some Nationals MPs believe the idea should again be revisited.

“Craig would be very welcome among the Nats, but it will be up to the division. We were all ready to accept (former resources minister) Ian Macfarlane and then the Queensland LNP division quashed it,” one Nationals MP said.

Other Nationals sources said any transition for Mr Kelly would be difficult because of the blowback from the Liberals and the fact Hughes has never been Nationals territory.

“It wouldn’t happen while Michael McCormack is leader,” another Nationals MP said.

When asked this week if he would ever run as anything other than a Liberal, Mr Kelly said his aim was to be the endorsed Liberal candidate in Hughes, but he did not deny interest in running as a National when approached by The Australian on Thursday.

“I’d have to buy some RM Williams boots and an Akubra,” he said.

Mr Morrison gagged Mr Kelly from commenting on COVID-19 issues after he went on a podcast with anti-vaxxer chef Pete Evans.

Mr Kelly told The Australian this week that people should “weigh the evidence” before taking a COVID vaccine and became embroiled in an im­promptu row with Labor front­bencher Tanya Plibersek in front of TV cameras in the parliamentary press gallery.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said any promotion of Evans, who has said self-love and hugs could work as a COVID-19 vaccine, crossed the line.

“Pete Evans, you could say he’s on the fringes but he’s well beyond that. So any promotion of him is unacceptable,” Mr Dutton told Sydney’s 2GB radio.

“Craig’s accepted that and he’s clarified that. I hope we can move on.”