For the last 20 years I have been very critical of the National party.
Prior to that I worked closely with Ian Sinclair, Mark Vaile, Warren Truss and Tim Fischer. All very decent honourable people. I worked on getting things better for rural communities and farmers.
Along came Barnaby and from my first meeting with him in Parliament House in Canberra it was clear he not only did not understand the detail of policy he was not interested either.
True to his “best retail politician” reputation he was only interested in simplistic glib politics. That will never serve communities and farmers well. Government is a bit more complex than that.
The National position of splitting with the Liberals is a welcome move. In opposition it really doesn’t matter and provided the door is open for remarriage close to an election they can be back in Government.
Barnaby Joyce is good at getting in the media and talking superficially good stuff. The National had the handbrake of the Liberals having to appeal to city voters. That can be a major problem for the Nats on some issues.
David Littleproud can now match it with Barnaby and expose him for the vacuous blowhard he is.
Regional Australia should be in no doubt One Nation will go nowhere, we need a strong opposition to win the next election. A split ticket is the best way forward.
Got something on your mind? Go on then, engage. Submit your opinion piece, letter to the editor, or Quick Word now.
The only thing the detestable and incompetent Nationals “represent” is themselves purely driven by self interest.
The Gnats can’t be the opposition – they aren’t the party with next largest number of seats.
They can only be opposition if in coalition with Libs.
David more interested in spruiking nuclear power instead of fixing the roads, Barney is just out for the money
Phillip Granger what rock do you live under.
Phillip Granger Bananaby – a nice retirement to a Senate couch and access to the bar! I can hear the snoring now!
Phillip Granger you don’t know Barnaby ,he is one of the few who actually works out side of parliament, and he could retire on a full pention. So that goes to prove you have no idea what your talking about
Phillip Granger correct : Littleprouds electorate of Maranoa has the worst highways in Australia : this is not an exaggeration. I’m talking about National highways here.
Matt James he’s got no interest in locals what so ever
Phillip Granger Absolutely true , most of his energy has gone into the stupid petty rivalry between him and Joyce that they have both been wasting time in for years at the expense of their electorates.
Phillip Granger- it needs to be more than just roads in my opinion but I agree with what you are seeing.
The bush needs better rail infrastructure to take the pressure off the roads and given regional and rural people options.
Now that the Coalition has split, again, it’d be great if the Liberal Party of Australia contested every seat, New England included. Only then will we clearly see how many voters support each party’s ‘policies’. Speaking of policies, both the National Party of Australia and the Liberals need to create some, and get rid of their current attempts, which are little more than lightweight sound bites, well short of what it takes to lead a country!
Adam Blakester Couldn’t agree more. Would love to see the Liberals take it to the Nationals. The big issue would be how the Libs and Nats will preference the climate change science denying One Nation Party.
Adam Blakester- I agree, that the libs and nats need policies, problem is that they can’t agree on said policy approach as they are trying to keep moderates and conservatives happy within the one party, which will never happen in today’s world.
With barnaby now gone I think you should have another tilt at the New England seat, I would vote for you again as I voted for you last time.
Charlie Begg I agree.
The Coalition have gamed voters for years, playing Liberal policy with urban voters and National policy rurally. Voters didn’t seem to see the internal contradictions.
The 2025 election was a major shift, with urban voters leaving the Liberals because of the Nationals’ policies. Since then, the Nationals have dragged them further away, such as dumping net zero.
It’s a train wreck, which is another reason I reckon the Liberals ought call the bully’s bluff and hot it alone.
I am certainly seriously considering standing again, but that’s a way off yet.
The immediate priority is to re-engage with our electorate and find out what change they see as needed. We’re looking to relaunch Voices of New England.
I really appreciate your support and would welcome your interest in Voices too!
Time wasted reading that article that I’ll never get back, Mal Peters has no idea what’s going on in his own head let alone current politics, after all he was the worst leader of nsw farmers and by far a horrible mayor of inverell but then again wouldn’t expect any decent journalist work from you guys New England Times 👏
The Nats represent their donors only.
Michael Ross As do all the others.
Michael Ross not true. They refused to vote with Albo so are working for Australians
Jan Norris.
Absolutely Correct.
The Liberals voted in Favour of Albo’s Dodgy Bills & the Nats Voted Against the Filthy Labor Bills.
There is a clear disconnect between regional Australian communities and metropolitan communities. That needs to be addressed for our future generations or we will get left behind.
The best outcome for regional Australia is a strong National party that is modernised to reflect the views and values of the majority of regional communities.
Focused with genuine policy dealing in fact that blends the reality of life out here with the aspirations of future generations of regional Australians.
The exit of Barnaby and the like is a good thing if they can be replaced by quality candidates.
I hope those policies are not tainted by their donors from the fossil fuels industry or we may end up with no farms or food.
A good start would be to help regional communities and stop taking them for granted, treating them like Mushrooms. The only way for this to happen is to vote them out.
Sounds well and good. Reality is that they’re looking over their shoulders at One Nation and being dragged around by vested interests.
Country independents are doing a much better job of actually representing their electorates.
If they lose Senate tickets from splitting remember that Senate voting is state wide and the Nats could lose Senate seats. Imagine a Senate without McDonald and McKenzie.
Yes please
Frank Leemy Imagine… 🙂
Frank Leemy bring it on 👍👍
Exactly why they should do the right thing and jump ship to One Nation
They might win more actually.
Bill Archinal.
Yes, they may?
The Nationals were the Only Party that voted Against Labor’s Dirty Bills that were passed onto All Australians & Australia.
Don’t threaten us with a good time.
The Nationals don’t believe in Climate Change..but the man on the land does, as well as the Fire Fighters..
And Cheap Power from the Wind and Sun…….
They basically are FINISHED
ALONG WITH THEIR WEALTHY MASTERS…!!!
Terry Makeham Not sure how many “men on the land” and “firefighters” you have spoken to, but as someone that has been involved with agriculture for many years, former Ranger with the Forestry and Group Captain and Training Officer with the RFS, everyone I know thinks the climate alarmist brigade are gullible fools, yes the climate changes all the time, in natural cycles, taxing and legislating Australian agriculture and businesses into ruin, will have absolutely no effect on what the climate does, your comments portray you as a labor green plant than someone that has any idea about real farmers and bushfire fighters.
Clem Wheatley spot on mate
Terry Makeham find someone on the land west of the great dividing range that agrees with you ya muppet
Thom Shaw That’s Right You Don’t React to the FLOODS…. Hahahaha hahahaha
Terry Makeham floods have been happening since the dawn of time champ.
Thom Shaw how about all the farmers signing up for drought free income and continuing to graze?
Thom Shaw I’d say stop whining and ignoring reality.
Host some wind or solar or batteries and get drought free income that is not a taxpayer handout.
Actually NORTH…..
Terry Makeham don’t know how many men on the land and how may rural f
Ighters you.talk too but the one i talk to and its a lot on a diffren farm everyday, you are wrong
Terry Makeham Anyone who is
denying the factual basis of the science of climate change is protecting their ego in some way. The science of GW is settled, it’s about how we deal with it.
John Chicko Antoncic that is why Barnaby left . Littleproud is a useless leader .the only experience he has he was a rural banking manger for NAB
Rob Ussher the jizz bunyip is an accountant and pub bouncer 😅 from NZ .
The Nationals have been committing political suicide fort a long time now, pandering to the Liberals who in turn pander to Labor, who ever leads the party will be leading a ship that has been sinking for a long time previous to this, If Colin Boyce thinks that staying partners with a party that openly supports labor against the best interest of conservative voters, especially rural one’s, I think he is out of touch with what many conservative voters, especially rural one’s, are thinking, the liberals have shifted too far to the left, they are nothing more than a defeacto branch of labor.
Anyone that thinks continuing to support and vote for the major parties, is a good thing, has not been paying attention, rusted on major party voters are supporting more of the same pathetic performance and decline in our standard of living, services, infrastructure and values, it is like burning your hand in a fire, then putting it back in, hoping for a different result, a totally stupid move, so why do it with politics, an equally stupid move.
The Nationals base is melting just like the poles and their anti-climate belief relevance.
Most likely outcome: Nationals are decimated by One Neuron.
Eric Olthwaite they are both frauds!
The sitting members of the nationals have only one goal… to hang onto their perks. They haven’t represented the bush in years. The sooner some decent independents get into parliament the better
Scott Thrift.
The Nationals voted Against Labor’s Grubby Bills & the Liberals Voted to Allow Albanese’s Slimy Bills to get passed onto Everybody in Australia.
Posts that haven’t aged well…
One nation will destroy them
JC Fielding ON doesn’t represent rural communities. You should look up Hanson’s voting record on rural bills.
The National Party hasn’t represented ‘the bush’ since the days of Ian Sinclair, or at best Tim Fischer. Tim was at least a fan of regional rail. Wouldn’t that be a boon for regional economies?
Well david little balls was warned
House of cards
This bloke yells at people
When he doesn’t get his way
Watch the rats jump as the ship sinks
There are some genuine people in the Nats
But ego cause problems all the time
The greatest benefits to our region were not facilitated by the Nationals.
Tony Windsor brought more to our area than the decades of wasted loyalty to the major parties.
John Chicko Antoncic your joking right?
Thom Shaw the returned trade and record prices , say yes 🤷
If ON takes over representing the mining billionaires from the Nationals that would leave the Nationals free to go back to representing regional Australia.
Con Tha- will believe the nats go back to representing regional Australia when I see it. The mining industries are one thing but what of big business / corporations and specifically in my opinion the big 4 banks.
They will never represent rural Australians again. The National Party in in the hands of the Mineral Council of Australia.
No fan of any of them and by any of them I mean – Alp, lnp, PHON Or the greens.
I support independents to be honest. Sadly the nationals and one nation have long sold Australia out for their mining and billionare mates.
Toilet flush the lot and start again.
One nation will lead us to WW3.
Rural and regional Australia in my opinion does not get the infrastructure or services that it rightly deserves under either major party.
I am sick of hearing $peed kill$ when the licensing system isn’t worth the plastic it’s written on while the road toll climes each year & limited to no rail services in the bush.
A very superficial piece by Peters. If the Nationals are not in Coalition, they have no party of government to advance their cause. And it should be clear that Littleproud has made absolutely no impact in the public sphere.
Clifton Baker he has actually. Nats have held the Libs to ransom for years, dictating energy policy through the lens of coal power and no renewables. Have infected the Libs with characters like Abbott Advancing their cause and splitting the Libs
Vote One Nation, the NSW Nats and Libs are still in coalition and the Libs voted in NSW to take our guns etc, do you think we are that stupid. I will never vote NSW Nats unless they split from Labor lite, i mean Libs. Until then the only sensible voting option in the bush is One Nation!
David LittleNotsoproud and the Water But back. Hows that go
Ha, question who fills the Nationals pocket, mining companies. They don’t care about farmers anymore.
Not with Littleman
The Only Worthy Politician’s were those Nats that voted Against those Slimy AntiAustralian Albanese Labor Bills.
The Nats voted for All Australians & For Australia.
The Liberals Voted in Favour with Labor for those Labor Grubby Bills.
The Nats will reform with the Libs if Hastie is leader and they can get rid of Turnbulls influence.
Nationals have feet of clay.
They will end up with One Nation
Ode to the LNP
Noalition Leftovers.
(Lying Nasty Party)
Liberal & National Parties of Australia.
The irrelevant irrelevants striving to be even more irrelevant and are about to succeed in being irreverently irrelevant.
Oh so they haven’t been really representing the bush…..so they are fakes