The National Party hopes its future is in the hands of a young third-generation Queensland politician, who has championed regional communities and talked about trade deals since he had access to a microphone.
Born and raised in the Queensland region, David Littleproud began his career in the banking industry, working in several regional cities in Queensland, but never moving away from his hometown.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows for volume. Excited David Littleproud is committed to rebuilding himself as the new leader of the Nationals
“Chinchilla made me who I am today,” he said in his inaugural address to parliament in 2016.
Compared to his current colleagues, David Littleproud may have relatively little experience in parliament, but, as he quickly announced in his most recent speech, and first as a party leader, he was born there.
“I am all that the National Party is,” he said.
“I joined the National Party when I was a six-year-old boy … going out for my father in Chinchilla court while trying to become a member of Condamine.”
David Littleproud has served in Parliament since 2016. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
The Littleproud political dynasty spans three generations and all three levels of government.
His grandfather George was lieutenant mayor of Chinchilla, and his father Brian served in the Queensland state parliament as a member of Condamine, and later of Western Downs, from 1983 to 2001.
“It was the National Party that guided me to who I am,” young Littleproud said yesterday.
‘Always looking forward’
David Littleproud entered parliament in 2016, replacing longtime Maranoa member Bruce Scott.
Scott welcomed this week’s news and said at Queensland Country Time that Littleproud’s strength was “his ability to listen to people and make changes … he’s always looking forward.”
Maranoa member David Littleproud considers his home in Queensand regional. (Provided by: David Littleproud)
He said it was time for the Nationals to be seen as a party for the whole country.
“It’s not just about advocating for regional and rural people, it’s also about how you need the support of the people of the city to see us as a stronger and much better nation,” Scott said.
Now, while Littleproud takes the reins of that same party, he does so with a relatively clean slate.
“I think Littleproud’s ideology is still evolving,” said Paul Williams, a political commentator and associate professor at Griffith University.
“He ‘s an ongoing job because he’ s very young, but he ‘s a very smart and good guy with bites.
“I suspect it will be incorporated into the main agenda of ‘farmers can get rich with free trade.'”
Littleproud said the party would keep its commitment to climate change zero.
“I think he knows how to cling to ‘man-made climate change is not real,’ or to adopt a right-wing conspiracy attitude, from climate change to cultural wars, will alienate. [the Nationals] from the middle of Australia, and not make them a very useful coalition partner, “Williams said.
“We know farmers at the grassroots level know that man-made climate change is real because they see it every day.
“Recent National Party leaders and other senior nationals seem to have gone down the path of the Liberals and have been dancing to a mining tune instead of an agricultural and livestock tune, and I think that’s what got them in trouble.” .
David Littleproud was known for his “sound young men” during his time as Minister of Agriculture. (ABC News)
So why not Barnaby?
If Litteproud’s rise to the leadership of the Nationals was a surprise to some, it was not for the Queensland political scientist.
“Queensland is obviously the backbone … well, the backbone and a lot of meat of today’s opposition,” he laughed.
It is the first time the two leaders of the two Conservative parties in a coalition have come from the state of the sun.
“It’s probably obvious that the next Nationals party leader came from Queensland,” said Paul Williams.
“So it was probably not surprising that Littleproud ruled out Darren Chester.
“It was always predicted that Barnaby Joyce would be defeated as some moderate liberals are blaming him and Matt Canavan and George Christensen for extremism and climate change alarmism to drive voters into the arms of the tricks.”
David Littleproud has been elected new leader of the Nationals, with Senator Perin Davey (right) as his new deputy, and Bridget McKenzie (left) re-elected as Senate leader. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Williams said Littleproud could not afford to make the same mistake as Michael McCormack and “escape under the radar.”
“He has to keep his head above the parapet and he has to be an equal partner with Dutton,” he said.
He hopes the public will see a much more visible member of the junior coalition, and fans of the former agriculture minister can rejoice.
“I think they will increase,” Paul Williams said.
“If he is a good leader of the opposition, he will not keep quiet.”
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