MP David Gillespie turns on Nationals leader Michael McCormack over John Barilaro snub

A federal Nationals MP has taken aim at Michael McCormack for failing to publicly support John Barilaro for the Eden-Monaro by-election.

Nationals MP David Gillespie. Picture: AAP

A federal Nationals MP has taken aim at Michael McCormack for failing to publicly support John Barilaro as the party’s candidate for the Eden-Monaro by-election.

David Gillespie, who repres­ents the seat of Lyne on the NSW mid-north coast, said the NSW Deputy Premier was a “star candid­ate” and would have bolstered the stocks of the Morrison government. Dr Gillespie, who supported Barnaby Joyce in the party’s February leadership spill, blamed Mr McCormack for Mr Barilaro’s ­decision to not contest the seat for the Nationals.

“For the Coalition to win Eden-Monaro you need to not only hold onto your traditional base, but you also have to be competitive in Queanbeyan and John Barilaro provided that,” he said.

“Our party leadership should have been wise enough to recognise this and been quick out of the blocks to recruit and back him.

“He was a star candidate who could have helped build not only our party’s stock, but also the governmen­t’s.”

The internal criticism came after leaked text messages showed Mr Barilaro also blaming Mr McCormack for the NSW Nationals leader’s decision not to run.

In messages obtained by Sky News, Mr Barilaro told the Deputy Prime Minister he had “failed your team and failed as a leader”. “Your lack of enthusiasm or support for my candidacy went a long way to my final decision (not to run),” Mr Barilaro wrote. “Don’t hide behind the ‘members will choose the candidate’ rubbish, as you were the only one saying such lines. To feel threatened by me clearly shows you have failed your team and failed as a leader.

“You will never be acknow­ledged by me as our leader. You aren’t. You never will be.

“The Nats had a chance to ­create history, to change momentum, and you had a candidate that was prepared to risk everything to make it happen.”

Mr McCormack responded by saying he respected Mr Barilaro’s “personal decision” not to contest the seat, which was initially attributed to family reasons.

“I have always supported the democratic election processes of the National Party of Australia. I wholeheartedly endorse the right of branches to select their local candidates first and foremost,” Mr McCormack said.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew­ Constance will seek Liberal­ preselection for the by-election, while Bega Valley mayor Kristy McBain will run for Labor.

Many federal Nationals were perplexed by Mr Barilaro’s attack and noted he was under no ­pressure to pull out of the contest.

Nationals MP Damian Drum condemned Mr Barilaro and ­accused the NSW Nationals ­leader of leaking the private text messages.

“This bloke is desperately upset that he wasn’t handed a position in federal parliament without a fight or without a risk,” Mr Drum said.

“He then thinks he can be ­critical of one of the hardest-working politicians in Australia.

“Michael McCormack is a ­trojan who spends his whole life ­delivering for regional Australia.

“We have got this bloke (Mr Barilaro) who went missing during­ the bushfires and still hasn’t answered to the people of NSW … where on earth he was.”

Nationals federal president Larry Anthony criticised the ­release of private messages and endorsed Mr McCormack as the federal leader. “John would have made a great candidate but he chose not to run and that is the end of the matter,” Mr Anthony said.