{"id":252070,"date":"2020-02-04T09:28:07","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T23:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=252070"},"modified":"2020-09-17T15:24:33","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T05:24:33","slug":"littleproud-elected-deputy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/02\/04\/littleproud-elected-deputy\/","title":{"rendered":"Littleproud Elected Deputy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Member for Maranoa David Littleproud<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 4, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

However, a bid by backbencher and former leader Barnaby Joyce to topple party leader Michael McCormack failed.<\/p>\n

Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien signalled his intention on Monday to move the wider spill motion.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The resignation of Senator McKenzie\u00a0as Agriculture Minister on Sunday – and Senator\u00a0Matt 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.<\/p>\n

Mr Littleproud, who was elected to Federal Parliament at the 2016 poll, is currently\u00a0Minister\u00a0for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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