Canavan says he’s standing for Nationals leadership to be ‘agent of change’
Matt Canavan hopes to be an “agent of change” for Nationals, he has told media this morning, ahead of the party’s leadership ballot today.
Canavan told the ABC he decided to take a shot at the leadership on Wednesday last week. He said:
I think we need a shake-up. I think the party deserves a choice, think the people of Australia deserve a choice. I don’t think we gave them enough of a real choice at the last election. So I’m standing to try and be an agent of change, if you like … you can’t ask other people to do something you’re not prepared to do yourself. So I put my hand up.
Canavan said he has been arguing for some time that Australia is “losing our income, losing our wealth, losing our jobs, losing our industries, losing our … laidback culture”.
He would not withdraw if he didn’t have the numbers, he said, but would “give it a crack”.
Key events
Former Liberal makes case for Tim Wilson as party leader: ‘someone who’s going to fight’
Since Liberal Tim Wilson claimed back the seat of Goldstein from independent Zoe Daniel this election, there have been rumours bubbling that he has also been considering a surprise tilt at the party leadership.
Former Liberal MP Jason Falinski has been out and about today making the case that he ought to. Writing in the AFR yesterday, Falinksi said the party needed someone who would not “[flinch] in the face of vibe-led hatred” and would “[take on] holy shibboleths with facts, logic and reason”.
Wilson, he believes, is the man to do this. Speaking to ABC RN this morning, Falinski said:
I think that Tim is a fighter, and I think that our supporters, any supporters of any political party after the loss that we’ve just had, want someone who’s going to fight, who’s actually going to stand there and say I believe in these things and I will fight for these things.
I think Tim embodies those characteristics, more so than anyone else in the parliamentary party. But it’s not really a paean to Tim Wilson. It’s about whoever the next leader is has to embody that fighting spirit, if we’re going to get ahead.
Welcome
Good morning.
It’s a new week in news and politics, with a new cabinet for the Albanese government and a new leader for the Nationals both on the cards for today.
The Nationals are gathering in Canberra today for a party room leadership vote as leader David Littleproud faces a challenge from Matt Canavan.
We’re also expecting Anthony Albanese to announce his new cabinet today, ready for swearing in tomorrow, after factional jostling last week post-election win.
Stick with us, as we’ll bring you the details on all these issues and much more as the day goes on.
