Matt Canavan elected new Nationals leader and calls for ‘more Australian babies, more Australian everything’ | National party
Matt Canavan declared “we need more of all things Australian”, including babies, farming and fossil fuel-powered barbecues, after being elected National leader in a party hall vote on Wednesday.
The Queensland right-winger beat Kevin Hogan and Bridget McKenzie in a three-corner contest to replace David Littleproud, who blindsided his colleagues by announcing he was stepping down from the leadership on Tuesday.
At a press conference immediately following the vote, Canavan said Australians risked “losing our country” under prime minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party.
“People are losing their standard of living, they’re losing their confidence,” he said.
“We are losing our relaxed and playful nature and we have to fight back on behalf of all Australians.”
But the former management consultant and Productivity Commission staffer said the solutions to the country’s problems all existed in Australia.
“We need more Australian agriculture, more Australian manufacturing, more Australian jobs.
“We need to have more of everything Australian. We need to deliver a hyper-Australia.”
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“We need more Australian babies. We need more Australian humour, more Australian jokes, more Australian barbecue, sometimes fueled by fossil fuels. We need more of everything Australian. We don’t need to look overseas for our solutions.”
Victorian Darren Chester was elected as deputy leader, replacing Hogan. McKenzie will remain as the party’s Senate leader.
Canavan said he did not expect a major change in relations between the National Party and the Liberal party after a difficult nine months since the last election, which saw the Coalition split twice under Littleproud.
Liberal leader Angus Taylor congratulated Canavan and Taylor.
“They understand regional and rural Australia. They understand the pressures families, farmers and small businesses face. And they will provide strong leadership for the Nationals at a crucial moment for our country,” he said.
Asked about rumors he might seek a move to the lower house, Canavan did not rule out a change but said his top priority was leading the party. He has a public connection to the Capricornia seat currently held by Nationals Rep. Michelle Landry.
The new leadership team will be tasked with helping rebuild the Coalition’s rocky position in the polls and fending off One Nation’s attempt to gain a foothold in Australia.
The first test will come in the May 9 Farrer by-election, triggered by former Liberal leader Sussan Ley’s retirement from parliament.
Canavan said identity politics transcended the political divide and suggested One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was trying to pit Australians against each other.
“Pauline has been in politics for more than twice as long as I have been and I struggle to point to a single dam, a single road, a single hospital that Pauline has built in Australia.
“I can point to these things from my work in central Queensland with Michelle Landry, Colin Boyce and others.”
Elected in 2013 after serving as chief of staff to then-National Senator Barnaby Joyce, Canavan has emerged as the country’s party’s most hard-line and influential right-wing voice.
He led the campaign to reach net zero by 2050, advocated building new coal-fired power plants and opposed a Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
Canavan also opposed the attack on Iran, which the US and Israel described as “America’s regime change war”.
Asked about his stance on top political issues, Canavan confirmed Guardian Australia’s report this week that he had accessed the federal government’s rebate scheme for installing solar power, despite claiming the subsidies were a “green energy scam”.
“The one thing I stand for, the one thing I stand for is that we use all of our God-given resources for the benefit of the Australian people, as we are all doing right now as a National and Liberal team,” he said.
