THE PERFORMER
Mckenzie and Matt Canavan.
Mr Morrison defended the appointment with gusto, declaring Mr Pitt was a “fantastic pick” calling him “Pitt the Performer”.
Mr Morrison went on, claiming because Mr Pitt was a “North Queenslander” would definitely do an amazing job.
“This is a bloke who was a sugar cane farmer, a tradie and he’s an electrical engineer, and even better than that he’s a Queenslander, and even better than that he’s a North Queenslander,” he said.
He said Mr Pitt had “great capabilities” and would add “experience and real intellectual horsepower” to the tasks he was assigned.
Bundaberg, where Mr Pitt was born and where he is based, is 360km away from Brisbane and about 1000km away from Townsville, and perhaps not even by the loosest of definitions could be considered being in North Queensland.
Dawson MP George Christensen has been named as one of at least three Nationals MPS who would cross the floor due to leadership tensions – allegations denied by his office. A spokeswoman for Mr Christensen said he reserved the right to cross the floor on matters of principle or issues affecting his electorate but wouldn’t do so simply because of internal party infighting.
It comes after former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce warned Scott Morrison the failure to put any of his supporters into the ministry after the spill has created a group of rebels capable of blocking Coalition legislation.
The Government has a Lower House majority of only two seats and three of those are Nationals MPS Barnaby Joyce, George Christensen and Llew O’brien.
Prime Minister Morrison was not fazed by the possibility.
“When a member makes a decision on how they would vote ... they do so on the basis of a long-held conviction and that is afforded to every Coalition member of parliament,” he told reporters in Townsville.
Cabinet minister Mathias
Cormann also downplayed the threat.
“I don’t believe that’s what will happen,” he told Sky News. “Obviously in the Coalition on matters of strong personal conviction on specific issues it’s always open to individual members to take a particular position.”
Senator Cormann said previous examples of Mr Joyce crossing the floor were a long time ago.
“That hasn’t happened for a very, very long time.”
But Darren Chester, who was returned to Cabinet after the spill, said Mr Joyce’s past record could be more telling.
“Barnaby crossed the floor 28 times as a senator, it’s hardly news that he’s thinking about his options at some point in the future,” he said.
“Barnaby’s a strong campaigner for his community – I’m sure he’ll act in the interests of his community.”
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Mr Joyce was “on the hunt”, and his comments exposed division.
“That has real implications for the Coalition Government and its unity,” he said.
There is some bitterness that the re-elected Nationals leader did not restore former resources minister Mr Canavan to cabinet after he “did the honourable thing” and resigned to support Mr Joyce in Tuesday’s leadership spill.
He quit the Cabinet to back Mr Joyce in the coup and has not been returned.
Mr Morrison spent half a day in Townsville with his wife Jenny and Herbert MP Phillip Thompson, speaking to veterans about the newly announced National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention, before heading to a 2019 flood-impacted bowls club on Charters Towers Rd to speak with members of the public and Townsville’s civic and business leaders.