2025 National Party of Australia leadership spill
Australian political party election
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The 2025 National Party of Australia leadership spill was held on 12 May 2025 to elect the leader of the National Party of Australia. Incumbent leader David Littleproud was re-elected after being challenged by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, with Kevin Hogan elected deputy leader following Perin Davey's defeat at the 2025 federal election. 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.[1][2]
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12 May 2025
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19 caucus members of the National Party 10 caucus votes needed to win | |||||||||||||
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Leadership election | |||||||||||||
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Deputy leadership election | |||||||||||||
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The National Party holds an automatic leadership spill following every federal election.[3][4] The results of its internal ballots are not officially released.[5][6]
Background
2022 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).[7][8]
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.[9][10]
2025 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.[11][12] However, New South Wales senator Perin Davey – who was placed third on the Coalition's ticket – was not re-elected.[13][14]
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".[15][16]
Candidates
Leader
Declared
| Candidate | Electorate | Announced | Portfolio(s) | ||
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David Littleproud | Maranoa (Qld) | 5 May 2025[17] |
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Matt Canavan | Senator for Queensland | 9 May 2025[18] |
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Declined
| Candidate | Electorate | Declined | Portfolio(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Barnaby Joyce[19] | New England (NSW) | 4 May 2025[20][21] |
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Michael McCormack[15] | Riverina (NSW) | 12 May 2025 |
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Deputy leader
Declared
| Candidate | Electorate | Portfolio(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Kevin Hogan[19] | Page (NSW) |
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Declined
| Candidate | Electorate | Declined | Portfolio(s) | ||
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Bridget McKenzie[19] | Senator for Victoria | 12 May 2025 |
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Jacinta Price[19] | Senator for the Northern Territory | 8 May 2025 (joined Liberal Party)[22] |
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Endorsements
David Littleproud
Federal Nationals members
- Michael McCormack – MP for Riverina (NSW) and former Nationals leader (2018–2021)[18][23]
- Kevin Hogan – MP for Page (NSW)[24]
Matt Canavan
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
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]