ANNE Webster says she is “thrilled” by the result of Monday’s National Party leadership spill, despite the Member for Mallee failing in her bid to become deputy leader.
Dr Webster, who put her hand up for the deputy’s role in her second term as Mallee MP, lost the vote for the role to NSW senator Perin Davey.
David Littleproud beat Gippsland MP Darren Chester to take over as National Party leader from Barnaby Joyce during the party meeting, which lasted more than two hours.
Bridget McKenzie was re-elected The Nationals’ leader in the Senate.
In a day of changes within the Coalition, Member for Farrer Sussan Ley was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party behind new leader Peter Dutton.
Dr Webster said Senator Davey was a “hard worker and a woman of great strength” and well suited to advocate for regional water users.
“What there is to know about water, Perin knows,” Dr Webster said. “She’s had a long history in water and has been a go-to person for many of us to understand the intricacies of the Murray-Darling Basin system and plan.
“Given the Labor policy of buying back the 450 gigalitres right now, she’s absolutely the right person in the job to counter that.”
Ms Davey was a board member with the NSW Irrigators Council between 2014 and 2016, and was nominated for the Murray Darling Basin Authority board in 2017, but withdrew after it was reported she attended a meeting when a NSW Government official had offered information to help irrigators exploit the basin plan.
Dr Webster said the Coalition couldn’t be in a stronger position now that it featured three women in leadership roles.
She said she had made statements to Mr Littleproud about the “more knotty issues” in the Mallee that she hoped would be “strongly represented in leadership”, but would not elaborate.
Mr Littleproud told reporters in Canberra he would work with the experience of former leaders Mr Joyce and Michael McCormack to “build a bridge of unity and purpose”.
When asked by reporters if The Nationals intended to remain in a Coalition, Mr Littleproud said he would work with the Liberal Party to find a common understanding.
“The National Party can’t win an election by itself,” Mr Littleproud said. “A sensible centre is what wins elections.”
Although The Nationals held all their seats at the 2022 election, Mr Littleproud said the party needed a change to respond to “emerging challenges” and would hold discussions with Mr Dutton about their role in shadow cabinet.
“This is not about lurching left or right,” Mr Littleproud said. “It’s about common sense in the centre.”
Mr Littleproud did not confirm whether the party would support the push for an Indigenous voice in parliament as part of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, but he said NT Senator Jacinta Price, a Warlpiri woman, would be “a part of the conversation” in Canberra.
