Larry Anthony to rally troops for Nationals

Federal Nationals president Larry Anthony will use the country party’s centenary celebrations to rally the troops.

National Party president Larry Anthony.

Federal Nationals president Larry Anthony will use the country party’s centenary celebrations to rally the troops following last month’s leadership challenge, declaring they are the agitators who determine Coalition prime ministers and are the true defenders of blue collar workers.

In a speech at the Nationals’ centenary gala dinner in Melbourne on Friday night, Mr Anthony will launch an assault on rival political parties competing for votes in regional Australia.

The former Howard government minister will also remind Nationals MPs and supporters of the party’s historic roles in blocking Billy McMahon and removing Malcolm Turnbull from leadership roles.

“Other political parties have come and gone, the UAP, ­Nationalists, Democrats, DLP as well as independents and we will overcome today’s Johnny come latelys like One Nation and the Shooters and Fishers,” Mr ­Anthony will say.

“We’ve beaten the ALP under its fraudulent cloak of Country Labor and truly represent the workers while they represent predominantly a metro inner-city centre-left ideology.”

The Nationals celebrations on Friday will feature a historical re-enactment ceremony at Victorian parliament, including former leader Ian Sinclair and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. The re-enactment recreates the explanation given to parliament on March 10, 1920, as to why the Australian Country Party was formed, and the conference of country party delegates held in 1926, which officially established the federal organisation.

About 280 people will attend the centenary dinner, hosted by Bridget McKenzie. A leader’s panel, compered by John Sharp, will feature Mr Sinclair, Mr ­McCormack, Barnaby Joyce, Warren Truss, Mark Vaile and John Anderson.

In his speech, Mr Anthony will invoke his family’s 56 years of parliamentary representation across three generations and ­recount anecdotes from his ­father’s tenure in charge of the Nationals. When Harold Holt went missing, Doug Anthony was ­recalled to Canberra by John McEwen, who told him “I am now prime minister”.

“I was on the plane and back in Canberra in a few hours. I spent some time that night with McEwen in his hotel room. We talked about all the consequences of the loss of the prime minister,” Doug Anthony recalled.

“Our main concern was who was going to be his successor.”

A decision was made that their preferred option was John Gorton, who was in the Senate.

“I was sent off about 11 o’clock that night to Red Hill, to where John Gorton lived.

“I explained what the attitude of the Country Party was at the time and that we would give him all the support possible. He did go on to become prime minister.”

Former Nationals federal directors, including Scott Mitchell and Brad Henderson, Liberal Party federal president Nick Greiner and former Liberal Party federal director Brian Loughnane will attend the gala dinner, which will feature a video message from Scott Morrison.