FEDERAL National Party leader Warren Truss remains undecided about his political future leaving question marks hanging on any subsequent leadership and ministerial appointments, if he resigns.
The Nationals’ federal representatives met collectively for the first time for 2016 in Canberra yesterday (Monday) amid escalating media conjecture about Mr Truss’s potential retirement.
The forum provided an ideal opportunity to resolve that lingering speculation and ease tensions around whether Deputy-Leader and Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce will become the next leader.
But sources said it was a “normal” National Party room meeting with discussions on current policy issues and the pending federal election that’s expected to be held later this year.
It’s understood in his meeting address, Mr Truss told members he’d be making his mind up about his political future and then making a subsequent statement, when he’s ready to do so.
Reports have indicated Mr Truss may make an announcement in late March on whether he’ll retire or even go on to contest the next election for his Queensland seat of Wide Bay that he’s held since 1990 and has already been pre-selected for.
The timing of that decision is reportedly impacting Malcolm Turnbull’s plans to reshuffle the federal ministry leading into the election, following sudden vacancies created by the loss of Liberals Jamie Briggs and Mal Brough late last year.
Regional Health Minister and NSW Nationals Senator Fiona Nash was quizzed about the party’s leadership when she faced media on Tuesday in releasing a report on an independent review into reforms for national organ donation.
Asked if frustration was building in the National’s camp with ongoing uncertainty hanging over Mr Truss’s future, Senator Nash said the current leader had the full support of his party room and had been “a great leader”.
“We’re perfectly comfortable with our leader’s timing and his decision to make any comment, when he chooses to,” she said.
“I understand there’s some interest in this issue and certainly there are questions - but I’m focussing on what I’m doing as the minister for rural health so things like today with the organ donation review being released.
“Right across my portfolio, from rural and regional health to indigenous health I’m very focused on my role as the minister and that’s what I’ll be concentrating on.”
Some Queensland National Party members are growing increasingly anxious about their State’s entitlement to any possible future leadership roles and subsequent portfolio appointments, if Mr Truss resigns.
Mr Truss is currently Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister which Mr Joyce - a former Queensland Senator and now NSW MP - could take-over, if he became leader, as is expected, with an opening then created for the agriculture job.
Last month, Senator Canavan said the National party had “good strong representatives from Queensland” who could do a good job if promoted, with State allegiances needing to be considered along with individual merits.
“If there is a potential for a change, we’d like to see more representation for Queensland from that State,” he said.
Senator Nash said she understood commentary existed around Queensland party members wanting stronger ministry representation but “these are matters for leaders of the day”.
“And at the moment Warren Truss is our leader and it’s a hypothetical question,” she said.
Asked if she would consider the agricultural portfolio if it was offered to her in any leadership change, Senator Nash said, “That’s a hypothetical question - there is no change of leader”.
She said she was also “very supportive” of giving women opportunities but whether any female party members earned promotions from any possible ministry reshuffle was a matter for the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.
“We in the National Party do things on merit - we have very capable women and we have very capable men,” she said.
On whether she supported Mr Joyce as preferred leader, Senator Nash said she’d worked closely with him during their 10-years together in parliament.
“We have really talented people in our party room but I certainly believe that Barnaby Joyce has done a tremendous job as Senator and now as cabinet minister he’s doing a very good job,” she said.
National Party sources say Mr Joyce has the necessary support of the party’s 21-members to win any leadership vote - but he faces strong resistance from others concerned about him potentially becoming an Acting-PM and may face a challenge.
Last week, NSW Nationals MP Michael McCormack also faced questions about his potential plans to be a candidate for the party’s leadership or to challenge Mr Joyce.
“There’s absolutely no ring to be throwing any hat into at the moment and until that time comes then I’m just going to be continuing to do my job,” Mr McCormack said.
“And certainly, this new regional development policy is going to take a lot of work and a lot of visits right around Australia and that’s my focus at the moment.
“The National party is one party which actually doesn’t ever naval gaze.”
