Minister’s defection ’bizarre’: Leader
NATIONALS leader David Littleproud has hit back over claims his party has been politically damaged by its early opposition to the Voice to Parliament, despite the defection of one of its MPs.
Andrew Gee, the former veterans affairs minister, quit the party just before Christmas last year after the Nationals announced it would not support the referendum.
But Mr Littleproud now claims the new independent broke ranks because of “personality” rather than concerns about the party’s direction.
“I don’t think Andrew Gee quitting was laid barely at the feet of the Voice. It was a bizarre decision because … well I think you need to dig a little bit deeper rather than scratching the surface,” he told Sky News.
Host Kieran Gilbert hit back, demanding the Nationals leader do just that.
“Just tell us what you’re saying here because you’re alluding to something,” the Sky News host quipped.
“I think you’ll find that Andrew had many issues outside the Voice with the National Party, particularly the NSW National Party – and that’s fine,” Mr Littleproud responded.
“Obviously there were personality issues that he felt couldn’t be reconciled, and I respect that he had issues around the floods and the delivery.”
A vote on the referendum will be held in the second half of the year.
When asked if he would reconsider his position before then, Mr Littleproud responded with a firm “no”. The Voice, the leader argued, would just add another layer of bureaucracy and do nothing to help close the gap in outcomes for First Nations people.