Barnaby Joyce has announced he will challenge current Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack if a party room ‘spill’ happens tomorrow, Tuesday 4 February.
The Nationals’ potential leadership challenge comes a day after now-former Agriculture Minister Senator Bridget McKenzie resigned from her ministerial post – and as deputy Nationals leader – due to the fallout from the sports grants controversy.
Mr Joyce resigned as Nationals leader and deputy prime minister in February 2018 due to fallout from his relationship with former staffer Vicki Campion.
Nationals MPs are due to meet in Canberra tomorrow to vote for a new deputy following Senator McKenzie’s resignation.
But it is understood Queensland Nationals backbencher Llew O’Brien is set to move a motion to ‘spill’ the leadership and plans to back Mr Joyce.
Local Maranoa MP and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud has been tipped as a future Nationals leader and at this stage is a front-runner for the deputy Nationals leadership vacated by Senator McKenzie.
Mr Littleproud has been a close personal and political supporter of Barnaby Joyce in the past.
