Barnaby Joyce joyless … for now, but Nationals divided
Michael McCormack warned he could face another challenge if he doesn’t improve his performance.
Nationals leader Michael McCormack is being warned he could face another challenge before the election if he doesn’t improve his performance, as new deputy David Littleproud opens the way for Bridget McKenzie, Matt Canavan and Barnaby Joyce to return to the frontbench one day.
The Deputy Prime Minister was put on notice after defeating Mr Joyce in a rare Nationals leadership spill, with Joyce supporters claiming the vote was as close as 11-10 and McCormack backers arguing the vote was more like 15-6.
Speaking to the Coalition partyroom after Tuesday’s defeat, Mr Joyce warned against making climate change action a priority because of the backlash from the devastating summer bushfires, while Senator Canavan, who resigned from the ministry to support Mr Joyce in the leadership spill, told The Australian the Coalition would alienate people in central and north Queensland if it became too focused on climate change.
As internal divisions fester, Mr Littleproud, who was catapulted into cabinet after 16 months in parliament and elevated to the Nationals deputy leadership on Tuesday after 3½ years in federal politics, did not rule out another leadership spill in this term.
“You never say never in politics; that would be unwise,” Mr Littleproud told The Australian.
He also flagged a comeback for senators McKenzie and Canavan, despite them being relegated to the backbench as a result of the sports rorts scandal and leadership challenge.
Mr McCormack, whose critics have called on him to be more assertive in selling Nationals policies or face further destabilisation, met Scott Morrison on Tuesday night to discuss who would be appointed to the ministry, with an announcement likely on Wednesday. Veterans and Defence Personnel Minister Darren Chester is the frontrunner to take a Nationals cabinet spot and outspoken Queensland MP Keith Pitt is also a likely candidate for a promotion.
Mr Littleproud is understood to be interested in the agriculture and drought portfolios, previously held separately by Senator McKenzie and himself, but it was unclear if water would be added to the mix. Andrew Gee, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister, and NSW Nationals MP Kevin Hogan were also touted as members who could be promoted to the outer ministry.
Mr McCormack declared after his partyroom ballot win that he did not expect another challenge from Mr Joyce. The former leader vowed he would not have another tilt at the leadership unless the role was vacated. “I was endorsed as leader when we came back here after the May election last year,” Mr McCormack said. “I was endorsed as leader when he (Mr Joyce) stood down in 2018. That’s three times in less than two years. That is enough to warrant me leading the party going forward.”
Mr Littleproud said Senator McKenzie could “definitely” return to the Coalition frontbench.
“Bridget did a great job before she became ag (agriculture) minister and she did a great job as ag minister,” Mr Littleproud said. “I don’t think in this game you say never on anything. I think that’s a dangerous avenue to explore.”
Pressed on whether that logic also applied to Senator Canavan and Mr Joyce, Mr Littleproud said: “Obviously in the future we’d be mad to look past the talent that we’ve got there. They’re not lost sitting on the backbench.
“Your voice in the National Party partyroom is just as powerful being a backbencher as you are being a cabinet minister or, in fact, the leader or deputy leader. That’s what makes us different. (It) sets us apart in a good way and that’s why we can have mature conversations in our partyroom about one another and about our policies.”
Mr Joyce said people were using the fires and drought tragedies to push their “hobby-horse issues” of climate change action.
Senator Canavan said: “If you start getting obsessed with issues like climate change, people understand that is so abstract and so remote from their own lives. There is not much you can do about it individually.
“People have a good bullshit radar in regional Queensland. If you say you have got a policy to change the temperature, they will tell you: ‘I have got a bridge to sell you.’ It is just ridiculous.”
Senator Canavan, the former resources and northern Australia minister, also declared he wanted new coal-fired stations “all around Australia” to be underwritten by the federal government.
Former deputy prime minister John Anderson urged Nationals MPs to get behind Mr McCormack, saying Australians had had “an absolute gutful of this”. He expressed concern about the breakdown in trust between the public and political class.
“This is the age of narcissism,” Mr Anderson said. “I believe the Australian people are desperately keen to see keen evidence that their political representatives will separate out their personal interests and ambitions from those of the nation as a whole.”
Support for Mr Joyce faded ahead of the Nationals partyroom meeting on Tuesday morning. The former Nationals leader had been hopeful on Monday afternoon of winning at least 12 of the 21 votes.
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