Nationals’ virus now a threat to Coalition

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack looks on after Nationals Member for Wide Bay Llew O'Brien was voted deputy speaker. Picture: AAP

The humiliation of Michael McCormack and his Nationals leadership chaos show no sign of ending and daily draws Scott Morrison and the Coalition further into the quagmire of dissent and bitterness.

This is a no-holds barred destruction of McCormack as leader that will drag on until there is a new leader, either Barnaby Joyce or the new Nationals deputy leader David Littleproud.

McCormack’s critics are not letting up and calling for Joyce to have another crack at the leadership just a week after his failed bid because McCormack has not learnt anything about managing his critics.

Monday’s Parliamentary debacle — and a defeat on the floor of the House of Representatives on such a matter is not just a Canberra bubble moment but a virtual vote of no confidence in the government — is a result of McCormack’s refusal to offer even an olive twig — a $42,250 pay rise — to his internal opponents.

As Coalition Prime Minister, Morrison can advise McCormack but there’s a limit to what he can dictate especially when part of the rebellion is about the Nationals leader being too subservient to the Liberal leader.

McCormack has been protected and shielded by Morrison since he became Prime Minister but the leadership weakness, lack of vision and inability to heal rifts has been exposed in recent months.

What’s worse for McCormack is that the Nationals’ damaging insurrection is increasingly infuriating and angering Liberals too. There are Liberals who believe McCormack is finished, some who fear his mismanagement threatens the government’s agenda and others who fear for the Coalition’s bare two-seat majority.

Liberals will not call for McCormack to go but there are distinct signs they are distancing themselves from him and his downfall. They are also saying that it is McCormack’s responsibility as leader as they move to quarantine themselves from novel Nationals’ virus.

Labor has expertly exploited the Nationals’ divisions and embarrassed Morrison as he struggles to recover from the “dreadful black summer” and restore the authority his government had last year.

On a day when Indonesian President Joko Widodo swept aside the past confrontations and irritations of the Indonesia-Australia relationship and set out a positive future partnership, ministers acted on coronavirus and defended bushfire recovery plans, a Nationals fight over the minor role of deputy speaker thrust the Coalition and Morrison back into a black hole.

Labor’s superior Parliamentary tactics on Monday, cunning plans and brutal politics exposed Coalition Parliamentary weaknesses, tactical forethought and McCormack’s smug assumption of power.

The immediate threat to McCormack’s leadership remains the Joyce rebellion which destabilises him on a daily basis but the greater threat is the undermining of Morrison and the danger to the survival of the Coalition because that removes any reason for continued protection.