National junior minister and MP for the south-western NSW seat of Riverina, Michael McCormack, is Australia’s new deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure after being elected to lead the Nationals this morning. An attempt to manage the unchallenged election of McCormack fell apart when Queensland LNP member George Christensen also stood for the leadership.
In the subsequent Nationals group photo, former leader Barnaby Joyce stood at the back, red-faced and scowling, as his little-known successor fielded questions about whether he was merely keeping the seat warm for Joyce.
The answer is almost certainly yes, unless Joyce suffers politically terminal damage from the scandals currently surrounding him, including a sexual harassment allegation that he denies. If not, the main question will be whether Joyce returns before the next election, or after it.
The particular problem is Queensland, where the LNP is under pressure both from Labor and One Nation — and possibly Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives, should they finally get their act together and register as a party. The LNP’s federal stocks have improved in Queensland lately with One Nation losing momentum, thereby lifting the LNP’s primary vote, but even on the better polling of recent weeks, it still looks set to lose at least four seats in Queensland.
With Malcolm Turnbull generally regarded as unpopular up north, McCormack — who has only been in parliament since 2010 — will have to work hard to lift his profile in another state and produce the kind of cut-through that Joyce, with his babbling but authentic-sounding populism, routinely managed. Worsening prospects in Queensland will prompt some Nats-aligned LNP members to wonder why they’ve benched the man they regard as their best campaigning asset, however incompetent he proved to be as deputy prime minister.
On the positive side for McCormack, as a relative unknown he has the opportunity to shape his profile with the electorate and, as a cleanskin, win back Nats voters disgruntled by the antics of the last few months.
Still unresolved at this point is a spot in cabinet for Darren Chester, who along with Keith Pitt was dispatched to the backbench by a vindictive Joyce late last year. Chester was by far the Nationals’ best ministerial performer and superior to McCormack in every way as a possible leader, but faced such geographical and factional challenges that he locked in behind McCormack shortly after Joyce announced his departure. To be in any way credible — and to give an undertalented government some greater ministerial firepower — McCormack needs to ensure Chester is brought back, although he has taken Chester’s former portfolio.
Meanwhile, Joyce sits on the backbench and waits. The Riverview-educated accountant is becoming a dad again in April and says he has a book to write. Don’t expect Joyce in his public comments to feel too constrained by any affection for the Prime Minister, or from the man who has taken what he regards as his rightful place.
The man who removed Joyce from what he may regard as his rightful place is Barnaby Joyce, nobody else. Is McCormack a seat-warmer for Joyce? That’s been said before about pollies who turned out to be capable enough on their own account.
No doubt that BJ De-throned himself but the former vitriolic homophobe McCormack will likely turn out to only be capable of babbling out the same populist dribble we’ve come to expect from his predecessor !
In actual fact a review of the results of the 2016 federal election show there was a substantial swing of 3.5% away from the Nats in Queensland where four of their seats are now held by only a slender margin and a lesser swing of 2.6% against them in NSW also. Perhaps Barnaby’s days as leader were over prior to his current problems emerging? Time will tell if the new leader can lift their performance in both policy and real outcomes for rural and regional Australia and win back credibility.
I live in regional Australia, and the Country Party (which is what it still is) has never represented me. It represents rural Australia, and I wish it, and deluded journalists, would stop claiming otherwise.
” …. unless Joyce suffers politically terminal damage from the scandals currently surrounding him …”
I suspect the damage is terminal. From family (including former farmers), friends, neighbours and former colleagues I hear only derision for BJ. The basis for this scorn varies but together it amounts to universal condemnation.
Not that I think much of McCormack either. Nats might be a spent force?
I think that his moderate & considered views on shirt lifters from a couple of decades back would still be echoed by most gNat voters though probably dismissed as too mild by half.
If Barnyard demonstrated anything (discuss) it is that there is no low too low to go to for those looking for what he retailed (pun not intended).
Fair enough comment AR.
I tend to think that Barnaby will be an electoral stumbling block in the regions for the rest of his days. I doubt there is a wife in any nats electorate who will forget in a hurry, and they have powers of persuasion. I think MJM might be on the money.
But Barnaby is a legend in his own mind, and no ambition is beyond him.
DG – I too expected the women of NE in December to have shown their outrage over his well known – daughters with a loudhailer on a ute through the streets of Tamwrth – proclivities but, also, not so.
What happened to “Deputy McKenzie” getting the star?
Catch her on Insiders yesterday? Like watching one of those robot Olympic skiers – this one a programmed automaton cat trying to cough up fur balls of gNatty thought bubbles before she forgets them, no matter the point?
“Tokens don’t count”?
I always welcome your wisdom and wicked wit Klewie and while I happily missed Insiders yesterday, the mere suggestion of the Nits of all parties with a chick in charge (if you stop for a millisecond to think about it) is in itself frickin’ hilarious !