Have Your Say

TRANSCRIPT: DOORSTOP INTERVIEW PRESS GALLERY HALLWAY PARLIAMENT HOUSE CANBERRA

2 February 2026

Subjects: National Party leadership, The Coalition reconciliation

E&OE 

STARTS: 8:52am

ENDS: 8:59am

 

INTERVIEWER 1

Mr. McCormack. Is David Littleproud likely to still be the leader of your party at the end of the day?

 

Michael McCORMACK

I believe so.

 

INTERVIEWER 1

Why?

 

Michael McCORMACK

I think he’s got the numbers and the support in the party room, but look, that remains to be seen. We’re meeting at 2:00. Honestly, they say a day or a week is a long time in politics, and now an hour is. So who would know? If I had that crystal ball, quite frankly, and I knew what was going to happen on Saturday, I could probably use it to go to the Randwick Races at the next meeting rather than to worry too much about politics. But, out there in voter land, they’re really hurting. There is a as a cost-of-living crisis, people paying 40% more for their power bills. $21,000 more for the average mortgage holder on their home repayments. We have an interest rate decision tomorrow. The transport industry and construction sector is in freefall. NDIS is in shambles. And we are here talking about ourselves. It is simply not good enough. We need to be disciplined, diplomatic. Get back together after the meeting this afternoon. The leader of the National Party, whoever that might be, I’m expecting to be David, needs to go have a chat with the Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley. It’s going to be Sussan Ley later this afternoon. And we need to get the parties back together so that we can address the issues of importance to Australians.

 

INTERVIEWER 2

If that going to be possible for David Littleproud to do a deal with Sussan Ley, given how critical he’s been of her and her leadership?

 

Michael McCORMACK

Well, it’s critical for the future success of The Coalition’s critical success of the National Party. Sometimes you have tough conversations in Canberra. Sometimes you even must eat some humble pie. But everything that went on before us wasn’t entirely The Nationals’ fault. It wasn’t entirely the Liberal Party’s fault. Labor introduced two nation changing pieces of legislation, hate speech and gun reform, and gave us very little time to debate. In fact, so many speakers weren’t able us to address the legislation on behalf of their electorates. This was not right. And of course, Labor is playing with politics as Labor always does. That then lead to what we saw. It was messy. It’s very untidy. David called Sussan, she missed the call. David got on a plane, went back to Queensland. The resignations were tendered. The resignations were accepted. It could have all been a situation of 2008, with the Wheat Bill, when Brendan Nelson and Warren Truss with the leaders. They disagreed. The Nats voted to continue that situation as it was, the Liberals wanted to deregulate the market. Wrong decision at the time, but they sided with Kevin Rudd’s Labor Party. And then the Coalition Party partners had decided that, should those shadow ministers cross the floor, which they did, that would all be okay. That’s what should have happened.

 

INTERVIEWER 2

Have you got anyone in your party willing to second Colin Boyce’s motion?

 

Michael McCORMACK

That remains to be seen. That will be decided in the meeting as well.

 

INTERVIEWER 2

Colin Boyce said he hoped the spill would inspire a different challenge to take on David Littleproud as leader and bring The Coalition back together. Do you share that view? Is David the right person to bring The Coalition back together?

 

Michael McCORMACK

Well, that remains to be seen. Sometimes people do put their hand up to smoke somebody else out. David. Darren. Sorry, Darren Chester did that not that long ago. We had a leadership spill. This is what sometimes happens. It’s not just our party that does that. It’s not just our members who do that. Sometimes that just happens. But look, I know Colin is frustrated now, but we will move on and get back to talking about the things that are important for regional Australians, as you said, to do a good job today.

 

INTERVIEWER 3

Michael, you’re good friends with Sussan Ley. You helped get The Coalition back together the first time. Do you expect David Littleproud to bring you into the peace talks, to help bring it all back together?

 

Michael McCORMACK

I’m sure he will probably take Kevin Hogan with him. That’s probably the appropriate thing to do. The leader and deputy leader, that is Sussan Ley and Ted O’Brien as the leader and deputy leader of the Liberal Party. That’s the appropriate thing to do. I know the Liberals have put out a letter to the National Party to ask for a meeting, and let’s hope that meeting takes place. I know that meeting also includes federal directors and others as well. But let’s see what happens.

 

INTERVIEWER 4

Michael, given today’s poll, the Redbridge Poll, which shows that One Nation has a primary vote now 26%, are you concerned that more Nats could decide that they’re going to make the switch and follow Barnaby to One Nation?

 

Michael McCORMACK

Well, short answer to that is, I hope not. I know he’s stirring the pot on this thing, but he’s very good at attracting that sort of publicity. One Nation now is very good at attracting dissatisfaction in the polls. Whether the polls amount to votes come next general election remains to be seen. But we need to be better. We need to be better as Nationals. We need to be better as a Coalition. And we need to get those dissatisfaction levels with conservative side of politics down.

 

INTERVIEWER 4

But is the trend concerning for you as a Nat and maybe more broadly for The Coalition? It’s not just the Redbridge poll, it’s the Newspoll, it’s the Resolve poll, it’s Essential polls. All the polls are pointing in the same direction, showing this wave of popularity towards One Nation and essentially destroying the Liberal and National brand.

 

Michael McCORMACK

Well you ignore them at your peril. But then again, if we believed in polls in 2019, Scott Morrison wouldn’t have won that election. One of the betting agencies actually paid out on Labor before the election. The Voice would be in place right now because everybody thought it was a fait accompli. It wasn’t, because there are a lot of people out there who don’t get found out by pollsters on a Sunday evening, and don’t take part in that discussion. They don’t follow politics that closely. They’re not going to change their vote. There’s a huge silent majority. I know it’s a corny phrase that’s been coined a long time ago. It sounds corny, but it’s true. There are a lot of people out there who, quite frankly, just try to get on, pay their bills, open the doors to their business, get their kids to school. They aren’t too worried about, you know, the machinations and inner workings of the Liberal and National parties.

 

INTERVIEWER 5

Any leadership ambitions for yourself?

 

Michael McCORMACK

For myself? Today? No.

 

INTERVIEWER 6

Is One Nation purely a party of grievance? Or are you worried they could become the main Opposition party in Australia?

 

Michael McCORMACK

Well, they’ve never actually won a seat in the House of Representatives. That’s where governments form. But it remains to be seen, there’s obviously a movement there. They are trying to recruit people to join their political party, and it’s difficult to get people to join political parties now right across the board. Whether you’re on the left or the right, it’s hard to get people engaged and involved. It’s the same in volunteer organisations with rotary alliances. It’s hard to get people off their couches and involved. But life is decided by those who turn up and those who show up. And we need to make sure that we represent all people, whether they’re sitting on the couch or showing up. And we need to also show up and be better.

 

INTERVIEWERS

Thank you very much.

 

Michael McCORMACK

Thank you.

ENDS

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