2025 National Party of Australia leadership spill

2025 National Party of Australia
leadership spill

←  2022 12 May 2025

Leadership election

Candidate David Littleproud Matt Canavan Caucus vote Won Lost Seat Maranoa (Qld) Senator for Qld

Leader before election David Littleproud Elected Leader David Littleproud

Deputy leadership election

Candidate Kevin Hogan Caucus vote Won Seat Page (NSW)

Deputy Leader before election Perin Davey Elected Deputy Leader Kevin Hogan

The 2025 National Party of Australia leadership spill was held on 12 May 2025 to elect the leader of the National Party of Australia. ^[1]

Incumbent leader David Littleproud was re-elected after being challenged by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, while Kevin Hogan won the deputy leadership following Perin Davey's defeat at the 2025 federal election. ^[2] Bridget McKenzie was re-elected as Nationals leader in the Senate, and although her term expires on 30 June 2025, Davey was elected deputy Senate leader. ^{[3] [4]}

The Nationals hold an automatic leadership spill following every federal election. ^{[5] [6]} The results of its internal ballots are not officially released. ^{[7] [8]}

Background

2022 leadership spill

Main article: 2022 National Party of Australia leadership spill

The Liberal–National coalition lost the 2022 federal election to the Labor Party, although the Nationals retained all of its 16 seats in the House of Representatives (including 6 MPs from the Liberal National Party of Queensland who sit in the Nationals party room). ^{[9] [10]}

On 30 May 2022, the Nationals held a leadership election. Deputy leader David Littleproud challenged incumbent leader Barnaby Joyce and won, with Perin Davey replacing Littleproud as deputy leader. ^{[11] [12]}

2025 federal election

Main article: 2025 Australian federal election

The Labor government, led by prime minister Anthony Albanese, was re-elected on 3 May 2025 to a second consecutive term in office in a landslide victory. The Nationals retained all House of Representative seats it held prior to the election, while Andrew Gee – who resigned from the Nationals in December 2023 – was re-elected in the seat of Calare as an independent. ^{[13] [14]} However, New South Wales senator Perin Davey – who was placed third on the Coalition's ticket – was not re-elected. ^{[15] [16]}

2025 leadership spill

Colin Boyce, the member for Flynn, was the first Nationals MP to call for a change in leadership, saying Littleproud should step down because he "must bear some of the responsibility for what happened". ^{[1] [17]}

Candidates

Leader

Declared

Candidate			Electorate	Announced	Portfolio(s)
		David Littleproud	Maranoa (Qld)	5 May 2025 [18]	Leader of the National Party (2022–present)
		Matt Canavan	Senator for Queensland	9 May 2025 [19]	Minister for Resources and Northern Australia (2016–2017; 2017–2020)

Declined

Candidate			Electorate	Declined	Portfolio(s)
		Barnaby Joyce [2]	New England (NSW)	4 May 2025 [20] [21]	Leader of the National Party (2016–2018; 2021–2022) Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (2016–2018; 2021–2022)
		Michael McCormack [1]	Riverina (NSW)	12 May 2025	Leader of the National Party (2018–2021) Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (2018–2021)

Deputy leader

Declared

Candidate			Electorate	Portfolio(s)
		Kevin Hogan [2]	Page (NSW)	Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism (2022–2025)

Declined

Candidate			Electorate	Declined	Portfolio(s)
		Bridget McKenzie [2]	Senator for Victoria	12 May 2025	Leader of the Nationals in the Senate (2019–present)
		Jacinta Price [2]	Senator for the Northern Territory	8 May 2025 (joined Liberal Party) [22]	Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians (2023–2025)

Endorsements

David Littleproud

List of David Littleproud endorsements

Federal Nationals members

• Michael McCormack – MP for Riverina (NSW) and former Nationals leader (2018–2021) ^{[19] [23]}
• Kevin Hogan – MP for Page (NSW) ^[24]

Matt Canavan

List of Matt Canavan endorsements

Federal Nationals members

• Barnaby Joyce – MP for New England (NSW) and former Nationals leader (2016–2018; 2021–2022) ^[25]
• Colin Boyce – MP for Flynn (Qld) ^[26]
• Llew O'Brien – MP for Wide Bay (Qld) ^[27]

Former federal Nationals members

• George Christensen – Nationals MP for Dawson (Qld) from 2010–2022 (current Mackay councillor and One Nation member) ^[23]

Other politicians

• Craig Kelly – Liberal/United Australia MP for Hughes (2010–2022) (current Libertarian Party member) ^[28]
• Campbell Newman – Premier of Queensland (2012–2015) (former Liberal National Party member; current Libertarian Party member) ^[29]
• Pauline Hanson – Leader of One Nation and Senator for Queensland ^[30]
• Lyle Shelton – National Director of the Family First Party ^[31]

Media personalities

• Adam Creighton – The Australian journalist ^[32]
• Rowan Dean – conservative commentator and Sky News Australia host ^[33]

Organisations

• Australian Taxpayers' Alliance ^{[23] [34]}
• FamilyVoice Australia ^[23]

Aftermath

On 20 May 2025, Littleproud announced that the Nationals would not renew the Coalition agreement with the Liberals. ^{[35] [36]}

The split from the Coalition came about as a result of policy differences around nuclear power, a future fund for regional Australia and supermarket divestiture powers as the main sticking points. ^[37]

This resulted in the two parties operating separately for the first time since the 1980s, and thus reducing the Nationals to third party status in the Australian Parliament, sitting on the crossbench. ^[38] However, Littleproud told newly elected Liberal leader Sussan Ley that he has every intention of working toward a renewed Coalition agreement in time for the next election. ^[39]

On 28 May 2025, the Coalition agreement was restored following agreement on several policy areas that the Nationals had advocated, and a new shadow ministry was revealed. ^[40]

See also

• 2025 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election
• 2025 Australian Greens leadership election

References

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2. Aidone, David (8 May 2025). "Ley in, Tehan out of Liberal leadership bid as rift over Price's defection emerges". SBS News . Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
3. Sakkal, Paul (12 May 2025). "Littleproud sees off challenger and Ley thinks she has the numbers" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 13 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
4. Cadell, Ross [@RossCadell] (12 May 2025). "Following the meeting of the Nationals Senate team, Senator McKenzie and Senator Davey have been re-elected to the Leader and Deputy leader positions respectively" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 12 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025– via Twitter.
5. Barbour, Lucy and Sullivan, Kath (11 May 2022). "Barnaby Joyce's leadership tested as National Party fights to retain all seats this federal election". ABC News. Analysis. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
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7. Grattan, Michelle (4 February 2020). "Barnaby Joyce's leadership challenge fails, taking minister down with him". InDaily . Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
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9. Foley, Mike (25 May 2022). "Nationals leadership spill is yet another battle in climate wars". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 13 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
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17. Sakkal, Paul (8 May 2025). "Jacinta Price defects to Liberals, expected to run as Angus Taylor's deputy". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 9 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
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22. Hislop, Madeline (8 May 2025). "Jacinta Nampijinpa Price defects to Liberal Party". Women's Agenda . Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
23. "Right-wing pro-life and anti-tax groups flood Nationals MPs with emails in support of Matt Canavan" . The West Australian. 11 May 2025. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
24. "Shadow trade minister Kevin Hogan discusses reports Matt Canavan will challenge David Littleproud for the Nationals leadership". Facebook. Sky News Australia. 9 May 2025. Archived from the original on 21 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
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29. Campbell Newman [@CampbellNewman] (11 May 2025). "The Nationals have the opportunity to elect a leader who is articulate, focused and determined. Someone who can take a principled stand on important issues and defend regional Australia. That person is @mattjcan. Let's hope his colleagues get that" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 14 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025– via Twitter.
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31. Shelton, Lyle [@LyleShelton] (10 May 2025). "Coalition leadership chaos: Suddenly, Family First's agenda is front and centre" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 12 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025– via Twitter.
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33. Dean, Rowan [@rowandean] (10 May 2025). "Great piece by @mattjcan in the Oz – and why Matt Canavan MUST be voted leader of the Nats – contact your local Nats member (after your shower, of course) and demand it" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025– via Twitter.
34. "Back Matt Canavan!". backmatt.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
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