Nationals MP Darren Chester on hiatus from party over leadership failures

Darren Chester has cited a ‘failure of the leadership’ as a key reason behind his decision to take a break from the Nationals

Darren Chester says he wants ‘time away from the Nationals federal parliamentary partyroom to reflect on significant issues’. Picture: Getty Images

Nationals MP Darren Chester has cited a “failure of the leadership” as a key reason behind his decision to take a break from the party, deepening an internal rift in the ­Coalition’s junior partner.

The tensions come as Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce said discussions were under way on reaching a net zero agreement with Scott Morrison, but there would be “more strife than the early settlers” if regional jobs were lost in Australia’s shift to a low-emissions future.

The Prime Minister is facing a chorus of calls from Liberal MPs, superannuation funds chiefs and business leaders to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 and raise ambition on 2030 targets after Josh Frydenberg warned there would be economic consequences if Australia was perceived to be lagging on the global stage.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Mr Chester said he would have a break from the Nationals’ partyroom and reconsider his position when parliament returned in mid-October. “My decision follows months of frustration with the repeated failure of the leadership to even attempt to moderate some of the more disrespectful and offensive views expressed by a minority of colleagues,” he wrote.

“I continue to support the ­Coalition government but want time away from the Nationals federal parliamentary partyroom to reflect on significant issues.”

Barnaby Joyce says there will be ‘more strife than the early settlers’ if regional jobs are lost in the shift to a low-emissions future. Picture: Gary Ramage

Mr Chester – a supporter of former Nationals leader Michael McCormack – was shifted out of the veterans’ affairs portfolio after the party’s leadership spill in July that saw Mr Joyce return as leader.

Mr Chester’s post alluded to his colleague George Christensen.

Mr Chester and Mr McCormack, alongside other Nationals colleagues, last week, publicly condemned Mr Christensen – who will leave federal politics at the next election – for validating violent anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protests. Mr Christensen on social media had called for the arrest of two Victoria Police officers, accusing them of using ­excessive force against protesters.

Mr Joyce on Sunday defended his hands-off approach to reining in Mr Christensen. “This idea that somehow you can go up there and demand that he no longer talks … put hobbles on him, gaffer tape his mouth up – that’s not going to work,” he told the ABC’s Insiders program. “I might not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

Mr Chester and Mr McCormack have also urged the Nationals to have greater ambition on climate change and reach an agreement on a net zero by 2050 target ahead of the UN’s climate change conference in November.

Queensland Nationals MP Matt Canavan on Sunday said he was “deadset against net zero emission.”

Anthony Albanese said the Nat­ionals were “divided between Michael McCormack and Darren Chester and Barnaby Joyce, even before you get to Matt Canavan and his position when it comes to climate.”

The Opposition Leader said the party’s divisions on climate change were a “roadblock” to the Coalition reaching an agreement on net zero by 2050. “Australia remains a pariah while we don’t adopt net zero by 2050,” he said.

“This government have a climate of division. They are divided between the Liberal Party and the National Party, they’re divided between themselves internally within the Liberal Party and within the National Party, and then when they get together as a Coalition.”