Matt Canavan throws hat into ring and announces challenge to David Littleproud for Nationals leadership

Matt Canavan will challenge fellow Queenslander and incumbent Nationals leader David Littleproud in a party room meeting in Canberra next week.

The senator, who was a minister in the Turnbull and Morrison governments, said he wanted to “bring back our fighting spirit” and lead the party away from a “hiding our light under a bushel approach (which) failed catastrophically”.

His announcement comes after Jacinta Nampijinpa Price defected to the Liberal Party just days after the election, prompting outrage from Senator Canavan and other Nationals colleagues.

In announcing his bid, Senator Canavan said Mr Littleproud should be “enormously proud of his role in defeating the Voice, putting nuclear power on the agenda, and having divestiture powers adopted as Coalition policy for the first time”.

“But this debate is not about protecting his job or mine. This is about fighting for the jobs and livelihoods of the many people we represent. Many of the people that vote for the Nationals party have to shower after work, not before it,” he said in a statement.

“Our plan should be based on how we can save the country, not save the party. I am standing for my party’s leadership so that I can tell my kids I did everything I could to fight for a better life for them.

“The plan we took to the last election was rejected. We need a new plan. I have been arguing for a different approach ever since we signed up to net zero. So, I believe that I am in a stronger position to prosecute change.”

The Nationals have held their seats in the House of Representatives and fared far better than the Liberals. The party were unsuccessful, however, in claiming Calare back from defector Andrew Gee, and Bendigo from Labor — despite a close fight.

But deputy leader Perin Davey lost her senate seat after being relegated to a losing spot on the joint NSW senate ticket. Paired with the defection of Senator Price, there is palpable anger amid the junior Coalition party about the election result.

In his statement, Senator Canavan reiterated he would argue to scrap the “futile and unachievable goal of net zero emissions by 2050”, saying the primary goal of the electricity system “should be to reduce power bills, not reduce emissions”.

He also said he wanted to re-establish the “Australian dream of a home with a backyard you can play cricket in”.

Senator Canavan also said Australia needed to “have more babies”, lamenting the plummeting birth rate as he called for greater support to the family unit.

“Finally, we must restore national pride,” he concluded.

In a statement, Mr Littleproud said that “everyone is entitled to put their hand up for leadership”.

“Under National party room rules that have been in existence for some period of time now, it is convention that all leadership positions are declared vacant after an election, regardless of the result,” he said.

“Everyone is entitled to put their hand up for leadership — it is what makes our Party unique. We are a very democratic party, where we encourage a culture of openness and freedom of expression and opinion.

“I am proud of my legacy as Leader over the last three years, championing the opposition to the Voice, nuclear energy, supermarket divestiture, and returning all of our House of Representatives Members in this election.”

The Nationals will meet on Monday, before the Liberal Party meets on Tuesday to decide their new leader.