MEMBER for Mallee Anne Webster has dismissed “unsourced claims” of a possible leadership spill in the Nationals’ party room.
Over the weekend, reports of discontent with Nationals leader David Littleproud arose, and claimed that Nationals MP and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and former resources minister and Queensland MP Keith Pitt were the favourites should there be a leadership challenge.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Littleproud is facing internal criticism around his relationship Liberal leader Peter Dutton and his treatment of staff.
While he played down the rumours on Sunday, Mr Littleproud said he would ultimately accept whatever the party room decided.
“But while I’m the leader, I’m just trying to focus on my job about not just holding the government to account, but being constructive where I can,” he said.
But during his appearance on Sunrise on Monday morning, Mr Joyce rebutted claims of the possibility of a leadership challenge.
“We’re not going to have a leadership challenge,” Mr Joyce said.
“I’m not moving for a leadership challenge. You don’t deny it if it’s not going to happen.”
Nationals MP Webster believes there is no weight behind the rumours.
“I was elected to represent the people of Mallee. While the metropolitan media focus on soap operas in the Canberra bubble, the crises are very real in Mallee – regional health, regional aged care, finding workers, homelessness, and the threat of huge transmission lines, to name just a few,” Dr Webster told The Guardian.
“My energy has been completely focused on those critical issues and I have no time for unsourced claims that someone wants someone else’s job.”
