Matt Canavan has been elected leader of the Nationals, securing the party’s top job after the surprise resignation of David Littleproud.
Nationals MPs and senators met in Canberra at 10am on Wednesday to choose a new leader, with Darren Chester also elected deputy leader, replacing Kevin Hogan in the role.
Mr Canavan defeated Mr Hogan and Victorian Senator Bridget McKenzie in the leadership ballot. The result was announced shortly before 11am by Nationals whip Michelle Landry after a 45-minute partyroom meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the vote, Mr Canavan said he had sought the leadership because he believed Australians were struggling.
“I stood for this role because I think we are losing our country. People are losing their standard of living,” he said. “We’re losing our relaxed and larrikin nature. And we have to fight back for Australians.”
Asked about the Coalition losing support to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party, Mr Canavan argued the minor party had failed to deliver tangible outcomes for voters.
“Pauline has been in politics for more than double the time I’ve been and I struggle to point to a single dam, single road, single hospital that Pauline has delivered,” he said. “I can point to swathes of those things with the work I’ve done with Michelle Landry, Colin Boyce and others in central Queensland. That is ultimately what we’re here for.”
Before the vote, both Mr Canavan and Mr Hogan were believed to be claiming majority support within the partyroom.
Mr Canavan had earlier confirmed he would contest the leadership, saying the party needed to focus strongly on cost-of-living pressures and energy policy. He previously ran for the position after the 2025 federal election but lost to Mr Littleproud.
Mr Littleproud announced on Wednesday morning that he would step aside after almost four years as leader, describing the decision as difficult but necessary.
“I’m burnt out. I’m buggered. One of the biggest responsibilities as a leader is to be honest with yourself,” he told Sky News.
He declined to say which candidate he supported in the ballot, saying he had barely looked at his phone since announcing his resignation.
The leadership change comes during a turbulent period for the Coalition, which has endured internal divisions and the recent ousting of former opposition leader Sussan Ley.
Mr Canavan now takes the helm of the Nationals as the party attempts to win back voters drifting to One Nation, with the upcoming Farrer byelection on May 9 – triggered by Ms Ley’s resignation – expected to provide an early test of the new leadership.
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