Nationals leader David Littleproud has weathered a challenge to his leadership after a spill motion, moved in Canberra, failed to gain sufficient support in the party room on Monday.
The challenge was mounted by Queensland backbencher Colin Boyce, who has claimed the party cannot afford to remain divided from its federal partner as parliament resumes for the first sitting week of the year.
The motion did not go to a contest for the leadership, with other party members refusing to support the motion.
Failure of the spill motion has been confirmed by party whip Michelle Landry, who refused to release any numbers, as is the usual practice within the party.
Spill comes as the Nationals continue to experience turmoil in their relationship with the federal Coalition after the party withdrew from the Coalition arrangement.
At the end of last month in a dispute over Labor’s fast tracked anti hate laws and the enforcement of shadow cabinet solidarity.
The Nationals withdrawal was triggered by the party’s three senators Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald, voting against the anti hate laws and then resigning from the opposition frontbench.
Boyce has described his spill offer as a warning shot rather than a bid for personal power telling the media before the meeting, “This has never been about me being the leader of the National Party.”
The focus will now shift to whether the Nationals and Liberal Party of Australia can mend the Coalition, with Sussan Ley set to meet Littleproud following the party room clash.
Nationals deputy Kevin Hogan said that any reunion would have to include the reinstatement of the three senators to the shadow ministry, which many Liberals have been loath to agree to.
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Regional polling is also tightening, and Victorian MP Darren Chester is set to call on his colleagues to put reunification talks high on the agenda as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party makes inroads in traditional Coalition heartland.
