MEMBER for Murray Plains Peter Walsh will remain in Parliament until the next election, despite stepping down as leader of the Victorian Nationals on Monday night after a decade.
Gippsland South MP Danny O’Brien was elected unopposed as the new leader in a party room meeting.
Lowan MP Emma Kealy will remain deputy leader, despite long being touted as a successor.
Ms Kealy told the media on Tuesday she had nominated Mr O’Brien as leader.
The Guardian understands Mr Walsh, who turned 70 in January, advised the party a fortnight ago he would step down from the leadership before the 2026 state election, but there was no timeline attached.
It is also understood a transition was intended to happen halfway through the current term, however sometime in the new year had been the preference.
It was unclear if Mr Walsh, first elected in 2002 to represent Swan Hill before the electorate was expanded to include Echuca in 2014, called for the leadership vote or if it was planned without his knowledge.
He will sit on the lonely Opposition backbench after being stripped by the incoming leader of his Opposition spokesperson responsibilities for regional development, local government and Aboriginal affairs.
Liberal Opposition Leader John Pesutto said he wasn’t informed about the leadership change until after it happened.
Mr Walsh was a water and agriculture minister in the Baillieu and Napthine Coalition governments.
He succeeded Peter Ryan as Nationals leader after the Coalition’s defeat at the 2014 election.
Mr O’Brien paid tribute to “Walshy” at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
He said it was entirely Mr Walsh’s decision to stand down.
“He’s been an absolute champion of regional Victoria for 22 years in parliament now, but long before that as well,” Mr O’Brien said.
“He has been a fantastic leader, a voice of reason, a source of wise counsel, and someone who has maintained us as a team through some pretty difficult times.”
Premier Jacinta Allan thanked Mr Walsh for his leadership and wished him well.
“I’ve always found Peter as someone that is good to work with, he’s a professional, he’s transparent and he’s very honest in his dealings,” she said.
Before entering Parliament, Mr Walsh owned and operated one of the state’s largest tomato growing operations as part of his irrigated horticulture and cropping enterprise, also producing cereals, oilseeds and legumes.
In that role he began his public and community service as Victorian Farmers Federation president, and as a director of the National Farmers’ Federation and SPC Limited.
Born and raised in Boort, Mr Walsh’s time farming and living in regional Victoria saw him naturally interested in agricultural and water policy.
Mr Walsh said the development of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was one of his biggest political challenges, fighting hard in Opposition and government to ensure the rights of Victorian irrigators were fairly balanced with the needs of the environment.
“It has been my privilege to serve the people of two electorates … and to have been able to lead The Nationals for 10 years and help return to party to the prominence it and its supporters deserve … has been something which I look on with pride and satisfaction,” Mr Walsh said.
“I cannot thank the people of the seats of Swan Hill and Murray Plains enough for their ongoing support, and trust in me, as their voice in the state’s Parliament.
“I look forward to continuing to work on their behalf as we head towards the 2026 election and returning the right parties to government.”
Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud said Mr Walsh was leaving a legacy to be proud of, including expanding the Victorian party room to its best result since the 1940s.
Mr Littleproud described him as “one of the greatest leaders” for the party because “he never wavered in his commitment for regional, rural and remote Victorians”.
“Mr Walsh is someone I call a mate and he has been a pleasure to work with,” he said.
