Damian Drum bowing out of politics after state and federal stints

His AFL coaching career might have had a far from ideal ending, but Damian Drum is signing off from politics how he wants.

Damian Drum is departing politics on his terms.

The federal member for Nicholls made the call to retire after six years in Canberra late last year with his decision in stark contrast to two decades earlier when he found out he had been given the chop as Fremantle coach from a television reporter as he raced to a function rather than club officials.

Mr Drum made the switch from footy to politics a year later with an initial stint in the Victorian parliament followed by a move into the federal arena when he won the seat then known as Murray for the Nationals in a three-cornered contest prompted by the retirement of Liberal Sharman Stone.

The 61-year-old retires satisfied he has given public life his best shot.

“The natural test that exists is when a Friday night rolls around do you want to be out at a community event or do you want to be curled up on the couch watching the footy?” he said.

“It’s an all consuming job, I leave content, but there is always more to do.”

One issue requiring more work from his successor is water and the Murray Darling Basin Plan, which is critical in his patch, the Goulburn Valley.

Damian Drum on the bank of the Goulburn River at Shepparton. He is retiring this year after two terms in Canberra: Picture: Zoe Phillips

Stoushes with Labor and even Coalition partner, the Liberals, as most recently as last year, have spilt over in the parliament during Mr Drum’s time in Canberra.

He said water was “incredibly complex and contentious”, but the junior Coalition partner remained resolute in its opposition to the removal of an additional 450GL for the environment under the plan.

“The Nationals’ position is very, very clear. We don’t support the 450,” Mr Drum said.

“We’ve tried twice in the parliament to put an end to it, but both times we’ve been nobbled by the Liberal Party.

“The scary thing is if we go back to Labor control they can effectively go out and start buying water back off farmers.

“If more water for the environment is needed the only place it’s coming from is agriculture.”

Mr Drum said one of his most satisfying political wins came last year when he helped bring a divided Nationals’ party room into agreement to a net zero emissions target by 2050.

Barnaby Joyce and Damian Drum during Question Time in 2018. Picture: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was the toughest to convince, but consensus prevailed at the death.

“If we didn’t sign up we were going to be treated like North Korea and have a whole range of sanctions against us,” Mr Drum said.

“It’s an example of where the moderates in the room were able to band together and win the day.

“But no one goes on Facebook at night and champions themselves as a moderate.

“People want to hear an opinion that is way out to the right or way out to the left.

“I’m very comfortable that in my time I’ve always been able to achieve that middle of the road view.”

Mr Drum served under two Nationals leaders, Mr Joyce and Michael McCormack, and wouldn’t be drawn on who was best in the role.

“It is too hard to say. They are both so different,” he said.

“My job as the whip is to support the leader.

“When Barnaby was in the job in the first instance and everyone else was jumping off around him, I was saying ‘mate, the country needs you, stay’.

“When he resigned I then went and supported Michael right through and when Michael got challenged by Barnaby five or six months ago, I supported Michael to the end.”

Victorian Nationals Damian Drum, right, and Darren Chester in parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

One eternal frustration remains the split on taxpayer funding on infrastructure in the cities and regional areas and disputes criticism the Nationals use Building Better Regions funding as a party slush fund.

“It’s a minute amount of money when compared with what gets spent on an everyday basis,” he said.

“Some of the projects that get built in Melbourne all start with a ‘b’ and it’s the same in Sydney.

“They are just incredibly expensive and dwarfs the crumbs that get spent in the regions.

“Politics is such a brutal game based on the numbers.

“If you’ve got the numbers in the house you can get things done.”