After careful and respectful deliberation, The Nationals have decided not to re-enter a federal Coalition Agreement with the Liberal Party at this time.
We represent more than 9 million Australians living outside our major cities. I, along with my National Party colleagues, have always stood up for the issues that matter to regional and rural communities.
At the last election, we fought hard to ensure key regional policies were adopted by the Coalition. These policies were strongly supported by the communities we represent and is reflected in all National seats being retained.
Unfortunately, we could not secure the assurances needed to keep these priorities at the heart of a future Coalition Agreement.
This is not a decision we made lightly, nor with any ill will towards our Liberal colleagues. It is a principled stand, made in the best interest of regional Australia.
The Nationals are choosing to look forward, not back. We won’t compromise on policies that are essential to the future of our regions.
We are proud of what we’ve achieved and we remain committed to building on that legacy with integrity and determination.
While we’ll stand independently in the federal parliament, we will continue to work constructively with Sussan Ley and her team to ensure we bring down the Albanese Labor Government at the next election.
We remain focused on holding Labor to account and delivering real outcomes for regional and rural Australians.
As the Member for Capricornia, I will always fight for our fair share of the wealth we create and for policies that improve the lives of our regional and rural communities.
ENDS
