Tammy Tyrrell rebuff dents Nationals’ minor party hopes

Independent Tasmanian senator Tammy Tyrrell has confirmed she rebuffed the Nationals’ advances during an attempt to regain their official party status in the upper house.

Nationals leader David Littleproud. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

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The Nationals have tried to coax crossbench senators into defection in an attempt to regain official party status in the upper house.

The Australian has confirmed the party has approached some senators and weighed up approaches to others since it was confirmed late last month that the party’s deputy leader, Perin Davey, had lost her seat.

That defeat, coupled with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s defection to the Liberals, has resulted in the Nationals falling below the five senators required to be recognised as an official minority party in the Senate.

Those recruitment efforts have so far been unsuccessful, with independent Tasmanian Senator Tammy Tyrrell – considered the Nationals’ most likely option – knocking back the invitation.

United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet was considered but it was ultimately determined that his views were too fringe for the party, while Queensland One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts is fiercely loyal to his party and leader Pauline Hanson.

Independent senator Tammy Tyrrell. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

A party needs five representatives in order to be formally classified as a minority party, with that status conferring extra staff and parliamentary resources. Being a member of a minority party can also open up opportunities on various parliamentary committees, providing a valuable platform for exposure.

Nationals sources said “many approaches” had been made to crossbenchers, confirming discussions had taken place with Senator Tyrrell, who was elected under the Jacqui Lambie Network banner before quitting the party in March last year.

“There’s been a discussion with Tammy. But ultimately I think she escaped one boss and doesn’t want another,” one Nationals MP said. “It’s been a matter of either they don’t fit us or we don’t fit them. It was the second for Tammy.”

On those that didn’t “fit” the Nationals, sources said Ralph Babet’s controversial statements on X and other social media had meant there was not much appetite to induct him into the Nationals partyroom.

“When you’re not beholden to a party, you say what you want. But some of those things (Senator Babet has said) wouldn’t fly with us,” one Nationals MP said.

United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

Despite the approaches to many members of the crossbench, The Australian understands the junior Coalition party has all but settled for the fact they are unlikely to win anyone over.

“It’s probably all come to naught,” one MP said.

The Nationals this week announced that they would for the first time in more than a decade run candidates at the next election in Senator Tyrrell’s home state of Tasmania. The party has the same policy position as Senator Tyrrell on Tasmania’s divisive AFL project, supporting the creation of a Tasmanian AFL side but opposing a new stadium.

Senator Tyrrell confirmed she had been approached by the Nationals and was “not interested”.

“I’ve always said staying true to my moral compass is the most important thing I can do in this job. And jumping back into a party relationship and being told how to vote would completely compromise that,” she said.

“So no, I’m not joining the Nats. I’m not keen on a throuple situation with them and the Liberals – I’d rather just stay as a single divorcee over here.”

Some see that the party’s best bet for securing a fifth senator could well lie in the two new One Nation senators, Warwick Stacey from NSW and Tyron Whitten from Western Australia.

While little is known about the new senators, One Nation’s long record of losing senators during their terms – Senator Roberts is an exception – could provide an opportunity for the Nationals if history repeats.

The Nationals could well prove particularly attractive to Senator Stacey, given the party’s strong presence and party infrastructure in NSW and its ability to argue that his chances of re-election may be stronger as a National.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said the Nationals should be looking at their policies rather than trying to poach others.

“One Nation takes a very dim view of parties trying to ‘lure’ senators to join them, and of senators who leave the parties which got them elected,” Senator Hanson said.

Pauline Hanson has criticised the Nationals for trying to poach senators from other parties.

“The Nationals should take a hard look at their policies – especially net zero – for reasons they no longer have major party status in the Senate.”

While Senator Stacey was overseas and was unable to be reached for comment, Senator Whitten pledged his allegiance to One Nation.

“I have not been approached by the Nationals and I do not want to be approached by the Nationals,” he said.

“It would be a waste of their time. I am fully committed to One Nation.”

The Senate features several members who have left the parties they were elected under.

WA Senator Dorinda Cox this week ditched the Greens for Labor, despite her long history of opposition to the North West Shelf gas project – recently approved by Environment Minister Murray Watt – and strong pro-Palestine views at odds with the government’s official position. That defection has opened up an alternative avenue to the Greens for Labor to pass legislation through the Senate if it can secure the support of One Nation and the other crossbenchers.

Senator Fatima Payman quit Labor over her position on the conflict in Gaza almost a year ago, while Lidia Thorpe split with the Greens due to her opposition to the Indigenous voice.

Country Liberal Party senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price used to sit with the Nationals partyroom but defected to the Liberals after the election. She was originally poised to run as Angus Taylor’s deputy but abandoned those plans after Sussan Ley defeated Mr Taylor for the Liberal leadership.