David Littleproud has quit as leader of the Nationals, admitting that he is \u201cbuggered\u201d and needs a break, with senator Matt Canavan saying he would run for the party\u2019s top job in a meeting expected later this week.<\/p>\n
Littleproud\u2019s announcement appeared to catch many of his party room colleagues off-guard, with several describing it as a shock or a surprise. Senator Bridget McKenzie didn\u2019t rule out running for the leadership, while former leader Michael McCormack and current deputy leader Kevin Hogan are seen as other potential leadership aspirants. The party is at a critical juncture as it faces a resurgent One Nation which is outpolling the Nationals in many rural and regional areas.<\/p>\n
Littleproud was joined by his wife, Amelia, as he made the announcement after question time on Tuesday afternoon. He said he had notified the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and Liberal leader Angus Taylor ahead of the announcement, but numerous Nationals MPs said they were not aware of the news before Littleproud\u2019s press conference.<\/p>\n
First elected to parliament in 2016, Littleproud is a former agriculture and water resources minister, and has led the Nationals since May 2022. He has staved off leadership agitations and formal challenges from party rivals several times, including a long-running disagreement with Barnaby Joyce, which the former Nationals MP blamed as one of his reasons for quitting to join One Nation.<\/p>\n
Littleproud said he intended to stay on in politics, plans to recontest his Queensland seat of Maranoa at the next election, and did not rule out serving in a shadow ministry under the next Nationals leader.<\/p>\n
Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy to serve in whatever capacity, but I haven\u2019t got the energy to lead,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m buggered and I\u2019ve had enough. To lead this great party would be the wrong thing for me to do. I love the National Party. I grew up in it, I\u2019ll bleed, to the day I die, green and gold, I love it, and it\u2019d be wrong for me to say that I\u2019m the right person to continue to lead. That\u2019s tough for me to say, [that] I think someone better can do it, because I don\u2019t have the energy. I\u2019m out of my feet. I\u2019m done.\u201d<\/p>\n Littleproud has led the party through a rocky nine months since last year\u2019s election, twice splitting with the Liberal party<\/a> and helping to scuttle Sussan Ley\u2019s brief tenure as the leader of the opposition<\/a>.<\/p>\n