Senator Matt Canavan has been elected leader of the National Party, following the shock resignation of David Littleproud.
The leadership spill, conducted in Canberra on March 11, concludes a period of intense internal turbulence and positions a Senator at the helm of the party for the first time in its history.
Canavan, a prominent figure of the Nationals’ conservative wing, emerged victorious over former deputy Kevin Hogan and Senator Bridget McKenzie.
While the party maintains its tradition of withholding exact ballot counts, the result is a clear mandate for Canavan’s "pro-coal, pro-nuclear" platform.
His elevation suggests the Nationals will double down on pressuring their Liberal partners to abandon net-zero targets in favour of a more aggressive resource-based energy strategy.
The transition follows March 10's abrupt departure of David Littleproud, who cited exhaustion after a bruising tenure marked by record election losses and fraying relations with Liberal leadership.
In a surprising shuffle, Victorian MP Darren Chester was elected deputy leader, tasking him with balancing Canavan's staunch conservatism with the party’s more moderate regional elements.
The new leadership team faces an immediate existential threat from One Nation, which has begun outpolling the Nationals in their own heartland.
With the Farrer by-election looming on May 8, Canavan must now navigate a fractured Coalition and a rising tide of independent challengers.
Nationals whip Michelle Landry underscored the urgency, stating the party now has two years to "get up in the polls" and reclaim its identity as the primary voice for regional Australia.