Nationals leader Littleproud faces ‘net zero’ revolt

David Littleproud is facing internal rumblings after failing to lock in any of the almost $30bn net zero funding commitments agreed to by Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce.

Nationals leader David Littleproud is under pressure from colleagues for failing to lock in up to $30bn in net zero emissions commitments. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

Nationals leader David Littleproud is facing an internal revolt after failing to lock in any of the ­almost $30bn funding commitments agreed to by Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce in return for the country party’s backing of a net zero emissions by 2050 target.

Senior party sources said Mr Littleproud was rebuffed by Peter Dutton after taking an unplanned proposal to a meeting of the shadow cabinet expenditure review committee days before the winter parliamentary break.

The Australian understands the proposal, which insiders said was around half of what the Nat­ionals secured in 2021, was not on the meeting agenda and Mr Littleproud was told to return with a detailed plan when parliament resumes in August.

Despite the Nationals increasing representation in the joint partyroom and the party claiming a larger proportion of frontbench positions, the Coalition agreement did not include any of the net zero funding pledges that regional MPs took to last year’s election.

Mr Littleproud’s proposal came after Nationals MPs questioned him in a partyroom meeting about whether any of the net zero funding commitments had been locked in.

Some Nationals MPs, including those opposed to the net zero target, believe Mr Littleproud should have used the party’s stronger position in negotiations with the Opposition Leader to keep key funding arrangements in place.

Mr Littleproud on Sunday told The Australian “it is not appropriate for me to discuss shadow cabinet, ERC or partyroom deliberations”.

“I would be disrespecting the members of those groups by doing so,” he said.

The Morrison government unveiled about $21bn in measures for regional Australia, ­including new dams, railways and roads, in the March 2022 budget handed down two months before the election.

After being toppled in a post-election leadership challenge by Mr Littleproud, Mr Joyce said he had landed a deal worth up to $30bn in net zero negotiations with Mr Morrison.

Barnaby Joyce, Keith Pitt and David Littleproud, with Bridget McKenzie and Kevin Hogan, after negotiating the net zero emissions by 2050 deal with former prime minister Scott Morrison in 2021. Picture: Gary Ramage/NCA NewsWire

Senior Liberals are hesitant to bake-in expensive Nationals funding demands at a time when the Coalition is accusing Labor of splashing cash and just under two years out from the 2025 election.

The Coalition is yet to finalise its energy and climate policies.

While Mr Littleproud is not facing an active leadership threat – with the Nationals ­partyroom not due to meet again in Canberra until July 31 – there are growing internal rumblings over his performance, relationships and interactions with colleagues and staffers.

In the event of a leadership challenge, the likely candidate would be Queensland LNP MP and nuclear energy advocate Keith Pitt, rather than Mr Joyce.

Some MPs believe the Nat­ionals are not effectively differentiating themselves from the Liberal Party.

After the Sunday Telegraph on June 25 reported that he was on “borrowed time”, Mr Littleproud brushed off leadership speculation and said “it’s a couple of bruised egos”.

“Whatever the partyroom decides, I accept, but while I’m the leader, I’m just going to focus on my job,” he said.

On claims he had lost his temper with colleagues and staff, Mr Littleproud said “that’s all in the beltway”.

“Obviously, in Parliament House, there are different ­opinions.

“There’s a number of things and we always try to express them … and that’s how parliament operates.

“I don’t get caught up in those types of things at all.”

Asked last week if Mr Littleproud was the best person to lead the Nationals, Mr Joyce said chatter about the leadership was “not coming from me”.

Barnaby Joyce and David Littleproud, with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, at the Tennant Creek Hospital during the 2022 election campaign.

“I’m not proposing a leadership challenge, I’m not moving for a leadership challenge, I’m not challenging for the leadership, there you go. 100 per cent,” he said.

In May, The Australian revealed Mr Littleproud had partly repaid a taxpayer-funded trip he made to the Gold Coast in February shortly after purchasing a $1.375m beachfront apartment.

He repaid the February 9 flight to Queensland, which he took after leaving parliament early.

Following an independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority audit into his Gold Coast trip, Mr Littleproud confirmed he had “mistakenly sought the wrong advice” before claiming business-class flights and Comcar expenses.

Mr Littleproud did not confirm he repaid the Canberra leg of the Gold Coast trip but said he was “not aware of any other IPEA reviews on my travel expenses”.