Lower House beckons McKenzie

DEPUTY Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie has not explicitly ruled out vying for the seat of fallen MP Andrew Broad at the federal election.

The Senator’s term isn’t due to expire until 2022, but there’s speculation she is plotting a move to the Lower House to position herself for a future leadership bid.

Mr Broad will not recontest the safe Nationals seat of Mallee in northern Victoria at the election, likely in May, after it emerged he used a “sugar baby” website to meet with a younger woman in Hong Kong, charging taxpayers for the domestic leg of the trip.

Asked whether she would try to fill Mr Broad’s seat, Senator McKenzie hedged her bets.

“There’s been a lot of speculation in recent times about what I, as Senator for Victoria, am going to do,” she said yesterday. “But I can tell you what I’m not going to do: I’m not going to give up on representing the great state of Victoria, give up on fighting for rural and regional Australia.”

She has also stressed she is backing Nationals leader Michael McCormack.

“I’m deputy leader of the Nationals and my role is to support the strong leadership of Michael McCormack and what we, as a team, have been able to deliver for regional Australia,” she said.

The Senator (right) became deputy leader about a year ago and said the weeks preceding former leader Barnaby Joyce stepping down were among the hardest she’s faced.

“Three of the most difficult weeks of my career were supporting our previous leader, as he sought to get the balance right between his personal and professional life,” she said.

Mr McCormack said his deputy would have his full support if she wanted to run in Mallee.