Nationals MP George Christensen calls for an end to the Coalition
Is this political HIGH NOON?
Eryk Bagshaw
17 Hours ago
Nationals MP George Christensen has called for the end of the Coalition, after the scandal engulfing former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce threatened to tear the partnership apart.
The maverick MP, who has a habit of making provocative comments and threatening to leave the government, said he wanted to see a National Party in coalition with regional Australia "rather than wedded to a Liberal Party lurching further away from the values we still hold".
Putting an end to the Coalition would risk the collapse of the Turnbull government and the century-old agreement between the two parties, leaving the Liberal Party reliant on the Nationals to guarantee supply and confidence.
In December, Mr Christensen reneged on his threat to desert the Coalition if Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was still in power by Christmas, after repeatedly threatening to cross the floor over the banking royal commission.
Mr Christensen said he would support the "aimless" Liberal government - with conditions attached - but the values compromise required of the Coalition between inner-city liberals and conservative rural voters was "becoming increasingly difficult to accommodate."
"If that means ending the coalition with the Liberal Party and instead supporting their Liberal government, with conditions attached, then we owe it to those we represent to consider our options," he said.
Mr Christensen said Mr Joyce's resignation to the backbench presented an opportunity for a "reset button" for the Nationals to consider "why we are here."
"I would rather see a Liberal Prime Minister, Liberal Deputy Prime Minister, and a full cabinet of Liberal Ministers than have to compromise our values and the welfare of the good people we represent," he said.
He said the "leftward drift" had meant the major parties were deserting blue-collar conservatives and regional Australians.
Last week Mr Christensen refused to apologise over a photo of him holding a gun and threatening "greenie punks".
"National Party MPs and Senators should be free to vote in support of those regional families unfettered by the latest Liberal leaning," he said.
The statement, which could be interpreted as a leadership tilt by Mr Christensen, comes as Nationals MPs do the numbers ahead of Monday's meeting.
Mr Joyce stepped down from being leader of the Nationals on Friday after being dogged by scandal over the past two weeks due to an affair with his now pregnant staffer, Vikki Campion.
Riverina MP Michael McCormack is firming as the unbackable favourite, but NSW MP David Gillespie has also thrown his hat in the ring.
The office of Mr Joyce's protege, David Littleproud, has advised the first-term MP is "highly unlikely" to run.