February 4, 2020
Member for Maranoa David Littleproud has been elected to fill the vacant spot of Deputy Leader of the National Party during a much-anticipated party room meeting in Canberra on Tuesday morning.
However, a bid by backbencher and former leader Barnaby Joyce to topple party leader Michael McCormack failed.
Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien signalled his intention on Monday to move the wider spill motion.
The vacancy for Deputy Leader followed the resignation of Senator Bridget McKenzie at the weekend in the wake of the so-called sports rorts controversy.
The resignation of Senator McKenzie as Agriculture Minister on Sunday – and Senator Matt Canavan’s decision on Monday night to step down from Cabinet as Resources Minister to back the bid by Mr Joyce – has now left open two Cabinet portfolios.
Mr Littleproud, who was elected to Federal Parliament at the 2016 poll, is currently Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management.
However, he has been tipped to be promoted back to the more senior role as Agriculture Minister – a position he held from December 2017 to May 2019.
Related articles:
Dear Mr Littleproud,
Congratulations on your elevation to Deputy Leader.
My concern is the grazing and cropping of marginal and desert landscapes. The damage done is well documented. Long term, it would be wise to gently turn the people involved into carers rather than users. There would be a lot of employment involved. Clearly the romance of life on such remote properties is now seen for what it is – an ongoing disaster for the desert and marginal environments.
My hope is that The Nationals turn to more important rural issues than the promotion of coal-fired power stations. Water use, land care, living soils, food production, and fair pricing of produce are paramount to “woke” rural and urban dwellers.
Best wishes,
William Ray