Nationals elect Matt Canavan as new party leader

The Nationals have elected Senator Matt Canavan to succeed David Littleproud as party leader, catapulting the climate action sceptic from the backbench to one of the Coalition’s most senior roles.

Confirming the result after a 45-minute party room meeting on Wednesday morning, chief whip Michelle Landry also said MP Darren Chester had been voted deputy.

“I think it’s important that we’ve got a strong leadership in our party and we thank David Littleproud for the amazing job that he’s done,” she told reporters gathered outside.

“We’ve got a mighty battle coming up ahead of us. We’ve got two years to get ourselves up in the polls. We’ve got fights with Labor, One Nation, the Teals.

“So we really need strong leadership. I think we’ve voted for that today and look forward to getting on with the job.”

Speaking a short time later, Senator Canavan said it was “extremely humbling to be elected the leader”.

“I stood for this role because I think we are losing our country,” he said.

“People are losing their standard of living. They’re losing their confidence. We’re losing our relaxed larrikin nature. And we have to fight back for Australians.”

He went on to say that “things are not going well under this Labor government” but the “good news is that everything we need to solve the problems in front of us right now are here in this country”.

“Everything we need to make Australia the country it was in the past is here in our nation,” Senator Canavan said.

“So all we need to do to revive our great nation is to have more Australia.

“We need to have more Australian manufacturing. ore Australian jobs. We need to have more Australian everything.”

Senator Canavan was the first to declare his bid after Mr Littleproud declared himself “buggered” in an emotional press conference on Tuesday.

Bounced by reporters on Wednesday morning, he would not be drawn on whether he had the numbers but said he had “made a good case”.

“I’ve worked hard for the party,” Senator Canavan said.

“I think I have delivered results in the past, particularly when I was minister. Helped deliver the net-zero policy.

“That’s what we’ve got to fight on now. We’ve got to fight for the Australian people.”

In winning, he defeated Mr Littleproud’s deputy Kevin Hogan and frontbench senator Bridget McKenzie.

Although, going into the vote, sources told NewsWire it was ultimately a contest between Senator Canavan and Mr Hogan and that it would be “tight”.

Canavan, Libs ‘million miles’ apart on policy

Nationals-turned-One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has praised Senator Canavan but warned the new leader would have difficulty pursuing some policies due to resistance from the Liberals.

Mr Joyce, a former Nationals leader himself, hired Senator Canavan as his chief of staff for three years before he ran for the Senate.

“I know Matt. I know him very well and he is an exceptional guy and a good fellow,” Mr Joyce told Sky News.

“But his policy beliefs are just a million miles away from where a lot of the Liberal Party are.

“And to be quite frank, they’re quite a distance away from where (deputy leader Darren Chester) is.

“That’ll be an issue.”

However, Angus Taylor was quick to welcome his new counterpart.

“I have worked closely with Matt and Darren for many years and know the conviction they bring to the Australians they represent,” the Opposition Leader said in a statement.

“They understand regional and rural Australia. They understand the pressures facing families, farmers and small businesses. And they will provide strong leadership for The Nationals at an important moment for our country.”

Mr Taylor said their party’s shared values was the Coalition’s foundations and that Australians “will know exactly what we stand for”.

“Under the Coalition, Australians will know exactly what we stand for,” he said.

“We stand for rewarding aspiration and hard work.

“We stand for backing families, farmers and small businesses.

“We stand for a stronger economy that restores living standards.

“And we stand for protecting Australia’s way of life.”