Nationals push Scott Morrison’s office to give Michael McCormack some runs on the board

Nationals chief whip met with PM’s Office and urged it to help manufacture policy fights for Michael McCormack because he ‘needs the wins’.

Nationals leader Michael McCormack. Picture: Gary Ramage

Nationals chief whip Damian Drum met the Prime Minister’s Office and urged it to help manufacture policy fights for Michael McCormack because he “needs the wins”.

The Weekend Australian ­understands that in a meeting with the PMO on Wednesday, Mr Drum raised concerns over the Deputy Prime Minister’s ability to cut-through and outlined his plans for a Coalition election strategy.

The Victorian Nationals MP, a close ally of Mr McCormack, is understood to have impressed on Scott Morrison’s office the need for his leader to be allowed flexibility to have regular policy fights, every four to six weeks, where the Nationals could achieve positive results.

The meeting, with the Prime Minister’s senior agriculture ­adviser, Paula Svarcas, occurred amid ongoing concerns inside the party over Mr McCormack’s ­ability to hold on and win seats at the next election.

Mr Drum and Mr McCormack did not respond to questions from The Weekend Australian in relation to what the Nationals’ ­Coalition election strategy was and on which policies the party would pick fights. Mr McCormack would also not address whether there were concerns about his ability to cut-through.

The Nationals leader, who earlier this week pushed back against efforts by rival Barnaby Joyce to recruit Craig Kelly after he ­resigned from the Liberal Party, said he would not be “distracted by speculation in Canberra”.

“My focus is on regional Australians, their jobs, their aspirations, their future and their vaccine rollout,” Mr McCormack said.

“We proudly represent 16 electorates across the nation — 16 seats we retained convincingly at the last election — and it’s those constituents we remain focused on.”

Mr Drum said “Michael McCormack is doing a great job as leader of the Nationals and Deputy Prime Minister”.

“He is delivering for the people of my electorate, rolling out the ­infrastructure the communities I represent need, want, expect and deserve,” Mr Drum said.

Asked to clarify details of the meeting, Mr Drum said “your facts … are not accurate”. “I am one of Michael McCormack’s biggest supporters as he continues to deliver for regional Australia. This had nothing to do with an election strategy. There were only two people in the meeting,” he said.

The Weekend Australian ­understands despite unrest in the Nationals ranks over Mr McCormack’s performance, any move against his leadership before the election is unlikely. The Nationals Senate team led by Bridget ­McKenzie and Matt Canavan have led several major policy fights in the past year.

Last week, Nationals senators announced they would move amendments to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to enable it to invest in clean coal-fired power stations, nuclear and carbon capture and storage technologies.

“People aren’t happy but ­Michael will probably be there at the election. They can’t coalesce behind a candidate,” a Nationals source said.