Australia news live: Bridget McKenzie says Nationals a ‘highly intellectual group of fighters’ after David Littleproud re-elected as leader
Bridget McKenzie says Nationals a ‘highly intellectual group of fighters’
Bridget McKenzie follows, echoing that she is humbled to have been voted Senate leader.
I lead a united, highly intellectual group of fighters on behalf of the 9 million Australians who don’t live in capital cities in this country.
The Coalition was handed a significant defeat, and we need to listen to the Australian people with humility, understanding that these were collective decisions of both the Liberal and the National party.
We need to respect their decision and we need to have a deep, honest look at what went wrong. I know that will take a period of time, and I look forward to participating fully in those discussions. But as David and Kevin have said, the National party provides stability and strength to the Coalition over a long period of time.
Key events
Littleproud ‘disappointed’ at Jacinta Price’s departure but says Nationals will ‘be the adults in the room’
On his own leadership, which was challenged by Canavan, Littleproud says it’s a “great thing” to have a culture of spilling all positions regardless of win, lose or draw.
What I want to leave is a legacy, a legacy for the people I represent. And no matter how long I’m in that chair, I’m going to use every day to make sure I leave that legacy …
That’s what gets me up in the morning. That’s what gets me into this place. But no matter how long I’m here, I want to be able to look back and say, I’ve left a legacy.
As for Jacinta Price’s legacy, which is up in the air this week following her defection to the Liberals to run as deputy leader to Angus Taylor, Littleproud says he hasn’t had further conversations with the Senator since she made her decision.
She rang me about an hour before she put the statement out. The reality is, Jacinta has greater ambitions than what the National party room can offer. We’ve been very supportive of her when no one else would … so I wish her well.
Asked if he is “boiling with resentment” Littleproud says he isn’t, but “we are disappointed”.
We’re going to be the adults in the room, because that’s what the National party’s been for the last three years. We’re going to get on with the job of not worrying about ourselves or worrying about you. That’s what this country wants.
Littleproud stays quiet on potential discussions of Coalition agreement
Littleproud is again pressed on how he would respond to the Liberals dumping their nuclear power policy, and whether net zero could be achieved without it.
He says you “cannot run an economy of the industrial scale, the size of Australia on an renewables approach”, adding we will see “energy bills going up” and “cost of living go up” under Labor.
On whether he’d like to see the scales “tip more towards the Nationals” in the Coalition agreement, he says he’s “just a bloke from western Queensland”.
But I’ve done a few deals out there … I don’t intend to telecast the discussions I intend to have with the new Liberal party leadership, whatever that may be tomorrow.
He also has a little dig at Andrew Gee, who left the Nationals to become an independent due to his support for the voice, and retained his seat this election.
He was elected last Saturday on 23% of the primary vote, hardly an overwhelming result when he relied on the support of a teal from a Melbourne billionaire bankrolling them from Melbourne, from the Labor party and the Greens.
Littleproud ‘not getting into hypotheticals’ over question of support for net zero
On to questions. David Littleproud is asked what got him over the line against Matt Canavan, and whether the Nationals arrived on a position on net zero during today’s meeting.
He replies that today was about the leadership of the party, not a policy meeting, while adding “we’ll have discussions”.
We’re going to review all our policies and we’ll do that in a calm, methodical way, similar to the way that we worked through the voice … we’ll be principled about the people that we represent and making sure we understand the implications of that.
So we’re not rushing into anything, but we will work through that in a collegial way … The reality is the leader of the National party doesn’t determine the policy direction of our party. The collective does.
On whether the Nationals would support net zero without nuclear energy, he says he’s “not getting into hypotheticals”.
I think it’s important to respect the process. That’s what it is to lead the National party, to respect those that are in that room and the diversity of views in there, and to work to a position that is in the nation’s interests and in regional Australia’s interest.
Bridget McKenzie says Nationals a ‘highly intellectual group of fighters’
Bridget McKenzie follows, echoing that she is humbled to have been voted Senate leader.
I lead a united, highly intellectual group of fighters on behalf of the 9 million Australians who don’t live in capital cities in this country.
The Coalition was handed a significant defeat, and we need to listen to the Australian people with humility, understanding that these were collective decisions of both the Liberal and the National party.
We need to respect their decision and we need to have a deep, honest look at what went wrong. I know that will take a period of time, and I look forward to participating fully in those discussions. But as David and Kevin have said, the National party provides stability and strength to the Coalition over a long period of time.
Kevin Hogan says Nationals ‘have not lost’ a federal seat since 2007
Kevin Hogan is up next.
He thanks and congratulates Littleproud, as well as McKenzie, adding he is “very humble” to have been voted deputy leader.
We are in a very important political body, and we’ll continue to be so … we are cognisant of and very conscious that we have to do a lot more work as Nats. But we have not lost a federal parliamentary seat since 2007.
We’ve got Capricornia, Flynn, Dawson, Page, my seat, which were all held by the Labor Party in 2007. New England and Lyne were held by independents in 2007. Now we over the period … won those seats back and held them through very trying times. So it’s a statistic.
We’re not lazy, we’re not complacent, but it’s a statistic … we will continue to always put regional Australians before everyone else. Thank you.
Littleproud ‘proud of the Nationals’ for policy achievements
Littleproud also credits the National party with pushing for divestiture powers of supermarket monopolies.
These are core principles that I’m proud to have led a team. These aren’t my achievements. We are a collective, not an individual has achieved any of this. But we as a collective. And I’m proud to say that our party room now will consider further policy moves as we go to the next phase.
But today was the important first step after an election loss. We’ve got to acknowledge we lost any opportunity to form government and we acknowledge that. But I’m proud of the Nationals and our result.
Littleproud notes Perin Davey lost her Senate bid, which he says wasn’t a reflection of her or the NSW Nationals.
That’s a reflection of a drop in the Liberal vote that she’s part of a joint ticket in. But … we’ve had a 10% swing, all because of the localised way in which we’ve run a campaign. Now there’s lessons to be learned, but I’m proud of the Nationals and what we’ve been able to achieve because we’ve done it as a team and there’ll be some big questions that we’ll have to move forward on, but we’ll do that in a calm, methodical way.
Littleproud says Nationals ‘set the policy agenda’ including on voice referendum and nuclear
David Littleproud is fronting the media now.
He says it’s a “great honour” to continue to lead the party, and credits the Nationals with turning Australia against the voice ahead of the referendum, as well as encouraging the Coalition to adopt a nuclear energy policy.
I’m proud of our achievements over the last three years, the last three years where I think we set the policy agenda. We were the first ones to make a principled position on the voice. We didn’t do that in a rushed way. We listened to both sides. We got to a policy position and made sure that we set the tone … for the conversation that the Australian people had and that actually turned the result.
It was the Nationals that led that. We’ve had the courage on nuclear energy, something that our party room has believed in for a very long time … it was us. It was our party room that delivered it.
David Littleproud re-elected National party leader after challenge from Matt Canavan
The National party acting whip, Sam Birrell, has just fronted the media to announce the party’s leadership team after a partyroom ballot this afternoon.
David Littleproud has been re-elected as leader of the National party, and Kevin Hogan has been elected as deputy leader.
Littleproud was up against conservative senator Matt Canavan.
Bridget McKenzie has been elected as leader of the Nationals in the Senate.
Amanda Rishworth ‘honoured to continue to serve’ in Labor cabinet, she says
Amanda Rishworth has released a statement thanking the prime minister for appointing her as minister for employment and workplace relations.
Rishworth was previously minister for social services, which has now been passed to Tanya Plibersek, and the NDIS, which has been handed to Mark Butler.
She said she was “honoured to continue to serve in an Albanese Labor cabinet”.
Ministers Burke and Watt have made an outstanding contribution in this role in our first term of government. I got into politics to ensure all Australians can reach their potential and to create opportunities for everyone.
I’m proud to have served as minister for social services in a Labor government, and for the achievements we have made in the first term.
I’m grateful too for my time spent as minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme following Bill Shorten’s retirement.
I look forward to continuing our government’s work to ensure Australians have the opportunity to obtain and retain well-paid and secure jobs.
Alfred could become most expensive weather event for insurers since 2023 Christmas storms
Ex-tropical cyclone Alfred may not have produced as much carnage as expected, but the damage bill for insurers is still steep, AAP reports.
The weather system swept across south-east Queensland in March, knocking down trees, flooding roads, eroding beaches and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of people.
It was forecast to strike as a category two system, but was downgraded to a tropical low after making landfall.
More than 116,000 claims for damage totalling $1.236bn have been made to insurers to date, data from the Insurance Council of Australia shows.
The lion’s share (104,389) were related to homes, but many businesses (8,118) and vehicles (3,725) didn’t escape unscathed. So far, insurers have settled 37% of the claims, worth $146m.
Alfred could become the most expensive weather event for insurers since Queensland, NSW and Victoria were smashed by the 2023 Christmas storms, leading to $1.58bn in claims. But it is still well short of the $6.38bn in insurance claims stemming from record floods in NSW and Queensland in early 2022.
ACF congratulates Murray Watt on environment portfolio
The Australian Conservation Foundation has congratulated Murray Watt on being appointed the new minister for environment and water, while urging Labor to “get on with the job” of reform.
Its CEO, Kelly O’Shanassy, said nature in Australia was “under intense pressure and the national nature law is not working”.
The Albanese government went to the 2022 election promising thorough reform of the law. That promise remains unfulfilled. It’s time to get on with the job.
There can be no more delays, caving to lobby groups and carving out industries: the Albanese government must fix Australia’s nature laws in the first year of this term of parliament.
O’Shanassy also urged Chris Bowen, who was returned as climate and energy minister, to continue to coordinate the clean energy transition.
At the 2025 election voters chose renewables, storage and climate solutions over nuclear delay and distraction … It will be crucial for this government to stop approving new coal and gas if Australia is to be a credible host of a climate Cop next year.
