Michael McCormack with the new Nats leadership team of Matt Canavan and Darren Chester. Photo: Supplied.
Riverina MP Michael McCormack has praised the newly elected National Party leader Matt Canavan, describing him as a “true conservative” and “family man” who will put regional Australians first.
On Wednesday (11 March), the Queensland Senator defeated Kevin Hogan and Bridget McKenzie in a ballot to replace David Littleproud, who abruptly resigned on Tuesday. Victorian MP Darren Chester was elected deputy leader.
Mr McCormack, who previously led the Nationals, did not vie for the leadership on this occasion.
“Matt has been a relentless advocate for regional Australia since he became a Senator in 2014 and I have no doubt The Nationals are in good hands with him at the helm,” Mr McCormack said.
“He is a family man and holds true conservative values that will certainly resonate with Australians who are increasingly growing tired of this terrible Labor Government for its mishandling of energy policy, the economy and an outright neglect for the regions.”
Mr Canavan is a 45-year-old Senator known for his support of the coal industry and his opposition to net zero targets.
He takes leadership of the party at a time its support base has been eroded by Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party.
“I’m very concerned that the identity politics of the division that we’ve seen on the left is creeping into the right now,” he told media.
“I was very critical of Pauline’s comments dividing Australia into different groups … suggesting that there are no good in certain groups of Australians. I totally reject that.”
He also said that he couln’t identify “one hospital, one dam or one road” that Ms Hanson had improved in her 30 years in politics.
In response, Ms Hanson said the new Nats leader joined the “woke pile-on” with the likes of the “ABC, The Guardian and left-wing fact checkers” who had started a war against One Nation.
The first test of Mr Canavan’s leadership will be at an upcoming Farrer by-election, a seat based around Griffith and Albury in southern NSW.
He has pledged to fight hard to win the seat and expressed his strong support for his candidate, former army colonel Brad Robertson.
Mr McCormack said his party had the right leadership team to turn its fortunes around.
“I am looking forward to working with both Matt and Darren, as I have always done, to put the interests of regional Australians first and foremost, particularly in the Riverina electorate,” he said.
“They will lead a Federal Nationals team wholly and solely focused on continuing to keep this bad Labor Government to account. We are a strong, united alternative party of government in Coalition with the Liberal Party.”
The Riverina MP also paid tribute to Mr Littleproud.
“David showed strong leadership to effect change, such as establishing an early position on the Voice, and our Cheaper, Better, Fairer energy policy.
“I wish David, his wife Amelia, and his family best wishes for the future and thank him for his service to The Nationals and efforts on behalf of regional Australians.
“I also thank outgoing deputy leader Kevin Hogan for all his efforts over his time in the leadership team and I look forward to continuing to work with Senate leader Bridget McKenzie, who remains in that role.
“Our party’s focus, as it has always been, is on the needs of regional Australia and the rest of the nation.”
