Matt Canavan to challenge for Nationals leadership, wants net zero scrapped
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The news: Nationals senator Matt Canavan will challenge David Littleproud for the leadership of the party, demanding its net zero emissions target be scrapped.
The context: Blood-letting after the Coalition’s worst-ever election result has spread to its junior partner, despite the Nationals holding onto all of its lower house seats.
Canavan, who suggested the Liberal and Nationals parties could split this week, said in a statement he will contest the leadership at a party room meeting on Monday.
In an article for The Australian, Canavan said he intended to “bring back our fighting spirit” and called for the Coalition to walk away from its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.
“Net zero makes everything more expensive and it is not helping the environment given that the US, China and India are no longer even paying lip service to it,” he wrote.
Canavan said Littleproud could be “enormously proud” for his role in establishing the Coalition’s nuclear energy policy and defeating the Voice referendum.
“But this debate is not about protecting his job or mine. This is about fighting for the jobs and livelihoods of the many people we represent,” he said.
Canavan’s declaration raises the prospect of both Coalition parties having new leaders by Tuesday, with the Liberals to hold a ballot — contested by Sussan Ley and Angus Taylor — to replace Peter Dutton that morning.
And the Nationals party room will be two members smaller, after deputy Perin Davey lost her Senate seat and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price defected to the Liberals — reportedly to run as Taylor’s deputy.
Canavan blasted Price for her decision on Thursday, saying it demonstrated “exactly why people are sick of politicians”.
The Greens will also elect a new leader next week after incumbent Adam Bandt lost his seat.
Speaking to the ABC on Friday, Greens senator David Shoebridge said he was “gutted” by Bandt’s defeat, confirming he would not run to replace him but declining to reveal who he would back.
What they said: “Only if we fight, will we have a fighting chance … I am standing for my party’s leadership so that I can tell my kids I did everything I could to fight for a better life for them,” Canavan wrote.
The sources: The Australian, Nine
