MEMBER-ELECT for Murray Plains Peter Walsh will stand for leadership of the Victorian Nationals at a party meeting today.
Serving as deputy leader of the Nationals for the past 12 years, Mr Walsh indicated his intention to run for the top job on Monday following the resignation of former leader Peter Ryan.
But Mr Walsh yesterday denied he was running to lead a sinking ship, on the back of an election loss that looks likely to leave the party short of the 11 sitting members needed to retain party status.
“There hasn’t been a poor showing, this is a misconception,” he said.
“If you look at all the seats other than Shepparton and Morwell, we have all got quite substantial majorities, down slightly from 2010, but I think 2010 was probably a high point because of dissatisfaction with the previous Labor Government.
“Media coverage of the decline of the Nationals is what always happens, and it never comes to fruition and it is not going to come to fruition now, it is only two seats that we are actually talking about — the rest polled very well.”
Mr Walsh said after 12 years as deputy leader, he felt he was “well qualified to take the job on”.
The 2014 election has produced mixed results for the party, with the loss of Shepparton to Independent Suzanna Sheed likely – a seat the party have held for the past 47 years.
The contest for the Gippsland seat of Morwell remains close, with the count currently putting Nationals candidate Russell Northe ahead by about 3.5 per cent in the two candidate preferred vote.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (December 3).
