Queensland MP Colin Boyce has announced he’ll challenge David Littleproud for leadership of the National party.
The leadership challenge comes after a disastrous week in parliament that saw mebers of the National party take every position available on the government’s hate speech legislation. Officially the party opposed it, some members abstained and former leader Michael McCormick crossed the floor to vote for it.
The policy position also put the party at odds with the Liberals, and Opposition leader Sussan Ley demanded the resignations of the three Nationals senators who were Shadow Cabinet members voting against the legislation, breaking cabinet solidarity.
In response all Nationals shadow cabinet members quit and Littleproud called an end to the coalition for the second time in eight months. Littleproud said the coalition could not continue under Sussan Ley’s leadership, and commented that he sued to have a really great working relationship with former leader Peter Dutton.
The political squabbling comes as polls show rapidly rising support for One Nation., as support for the Nationals and Liberals plumets.
Colin Boyce has announced that he will call for spill motion against Littleproud saying he wanted to give his colleagues the option of alternative leadership before the party “goes over a cliff”.
“In my humble opinion the National Party is committing political suicide by removing itself from the Coalition,” he said, suggesting under his leadership the coalition would quickly get back together.
“Sussan Ley has left the door open to re-establish that Coalition, and I believe that is what we should do. I think it is the most viable way forward for the National Party, for the Liberal Party, and for wider conservative politics,” he said.
Boyce has been in the federal parliament since 2022, he was formerly a representative in the Queensland state parliament from 2917 until 2022. The backbencher has never held a ministerial position or shadow portfolio.
Littleproud has responded to the leadership challenge defending his record as leader.
While Sussan Ley has left the door open for a reconciliation, some of her colleagues have welcomed the split. Appearing on Sky News today Shadow Housing Minister Andrew Bragg said the separation would give Liberal members a chance to define themselves better.
“I think the circumstances of last week very unfortunate and I think we’ve tried to make it work but sometimes you can’t make things work and you’ve got to focus on what you can control yourself and what we can control is our own policy agenda,” Bragg said.
“Most Australians live in urban electorates and that gives us a very clear focus as a Liberal Party and I’m excited about the opportunities we have ahead to develop some bold policies,” he said.
The challenge to Littleproud’s leadership comes as speculation mounts that Liberal leader Sussan Ley’s days in the top job might also be numbered. Party insiders have suggested that both Western Australian MP Andrew Hastie and former Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor are seeing if they have enough support among colleagues to mount a challenge.
