March 10, 2026
David Littleproud announced on Tuesday he was quitting as leader of The Nationals but would not be resigning as the MP for Maranoa.
“I intend to resign as the leader of the National Party. I’ve got to a juncture where I believe it’s time. I believe that it is now time to transition to a new leader,” Mr Littleproud told a media conference in Canberra.
He said he was “buggered” and had been a “punching bag” for months.
He now wanted to spend more time with his wife, Amelia, and family in Queensland.
A leadership spill motion against Mr Littleproud, initiated by Member for Flynn Colin Boyce, failed on February 2.
This followed The Nationals splitting from Coalition with the Liberal Party on January 22.
The Coalition reformed on February 9 just days before a Liberal Party spill installed NSW MP Angus Taylor as Liberal leader.
Mr Littleproud said on Tuesday he had always intended to resign after the Coalition got back together.
“The values and principles that Angus has brought back to the Coalition gives me confidence that the Coalition is on the right track,” Mr Littleproud said.
He said he loved the National Party and the people of Maranoa and would “bleed” green and gold (the party’s colours) until the day he died.
Mr Littleproud, the son of former State National Party MP Brian Littleproud, was elected leader of The Nationals in May 2022, defeating Barnaby Joyce in the contest.
He was first elected to Federal Parliament in 2016, and re-elected in 2019, 2022 and 2025.
Maranoa includes the towns of Kingaroy, Kumbia, Nanango, Yarraman and Blackbutt.
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Statement By David Littleproud
This afternoon I notified The Nationals Chief Whip of my intention to resign as Leader of The Nationals and requested a party room meeting later this week to choose a new Leader.
Leading this great party has been an enormous honour and privilege, but I have concluded that I am no longer the best person to lead The Nationals.
The leader must be able to give everything they have, but after the last few months, I have come to realise that I no longer have the energy required to do this job to the best of my ability.
I love The Nationals and regional Australia too much not to give it everything.
My colleagues trusted me with their support three times when choosing who should lead The Nationals, and I will be forever grateful.
My concern is for the ongoing success and strength of The Nationals.
With two years until the next election, and the Coalition relationship now restored and strong, it is the right time to refresh the leadership of The Nationals.
Equal to my love of the party, is my love for the people of Maranoa and I am dedicated to continuing to keep fighting for them every day.
I look forward to spending more time back in Queensland, helping locals deal with the challenges they face.
Leading a political party takes a toll and there is a price paid by those closest to you. I could not have been Leader of The Nationals without the love and support of my family, close friends and staff.
Our new leader will have my support, and I am passionate about working with that person to see The Nationals succeed.
During my leadership over the past four years, our party has faced some of the most difficult challenges since John ‘Black Jack’ McEwen was leader.
We have fought some tough battles and achieved great outcomes for regional Australia.
We led the fight against the Voice to Parliament, led the scrapping of the Coalition’s commitment to Net Zero by developing our Cheaper Better Fairer Energy and Climate Plan, we have secured a commitment for the Regional Australia Future Fund which will deliver up to $1 billion a year in additional funding for regional communities under a Coalition government and secured big stick divestiture powers to crack down on big supermarkets as Coalition policy.
In the face of the most devastating election loss in modern times, The Nationals held our incumbent House of Representatives seats, including the most expensive Teal campaign in the country, in Cowper, and achieved a swing of almost 10 per cent to The Nationals, nearly winning the safe Labor seat of Bendigo.
I have great faith in Angus Taylor’s ability to lead the Coalition and believe that he is the right person to reconnect the Coalition with the Australian people, with the right plan to restore our standard of living and protect our way of life.
I look forward to continuing to work alongside my National Party colleagues with Angus Taylor’s Liberal Party in a strong Coalition opposition.
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National Party Statement
by Federal President Andrew Fraser
On behalf of The National Party I’d like to acknowledge and thank David Littleproud for his leadership of our great party over the last four years and wish him all the best as he continues in his service as the Member for Maranoa.
He has led the party through a challenging period and has delivered great policy outcomes for regional Australia.
David has worked 24/7 for the last four years for the people of Australia while also being a great local MP. He has been an approachable and accessible leader to everyone in regional Australia, members of the public and party members alike.
I congratulate David on his personal strength and conviction that saw The Nationals lead the debate on the Voice and on the development and adoption of an energy and climate policy that will meet our future energy needs and allow Australian businesses to thrive.
There’s no argument that it’s been a challenging time for conservative politics in Australia, and David Littleproud has been a fierce champion and advocate for The National Party as a strong party in our own right as part of a Coalition.
We are not a faction of the Liberal Party; we have a partnership, and David’s leadership never let them forget it.
It’s rare for a leader to know when they need to hand over. It’s to David’s credit and reflects his strength of character that he has put the needs of The Nationals and his electorate of Maranoa first and his own career and political interests last.
The parliamentary National Party will elect a new leader later this week, and we look forward to working with the leadership team for the benefit of regional Australia.
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