Statement by David Littleproud 

10 March 2026 - This afternoon I notified The Nationals Chief Whip of my intention to resign as Leader of The Nationals and requested a party room meeting later this week to choose a new Leader. 

Leading this great party has been an enormous honour and privilege, but I have concluded that I am no longer the best person to lead The Nationals. 

The Leader must be able to give everything they have, but after the last few months, I have come to realise that I no longer have the energy required to do this job to the best of my ability. 

I love The Nationals and regional Australia too much not to give it everything. 

My colleagues trusted me with their support three times when choosing who should lead The Nationals, and I will be forever grateful. 

My concern is for the ongoing success and strength of The Nationals. 

With two years until the next election, and the Coalition relationship now restored and strong, it is the right time to refresh the leadership of The Nationals. 

Equal to my love of the party, is my love for the people of Maranoa and I am dedicated to continuing to keep fighting for them every day. 

I look forward to spending more time back in Queensland, helping locals deal with the challenges they face.

Media Statement

Andrew Fraser – Federal President

The National Party of Australia

On behalf of The National Party I’d like to acknowledge and thank David Littleproud for his  leadership of our great party over the last four years and wish him all the best as he  continues in his service as the Member for Maranoa.
He has led the party through a challenging period and has delivered great policy outcomes  for regional Australia.

David has worked 24/7 for the last four years for the people of Australia while also being a  great local MP. He has been an approachable and accessible leader to everyone in regional  Australia, members of the public and party members alike. 

I congratulate David on his personal strength and conviction that saw The Nationals lead the  debate on the Voice and on the development and adoption of an energy and climate policy  that will meet our future energy needs and allow Australian businesses to thrive.

There’s no argument that it’s been a challenging time for conservative politics in Australia,  and David Littleproud has been a fierce champion and advocate for The National Party as a  strong party in our own right as part of a Coalition. 

We are not a faction of the Liberal Party; we have a partnership, and David’s leadership never  let them forget it.

It’s rare for a leader to know when they need to hand over. It’s to David’s credit and reflects  his strength of character that he has put the needs of The Nationals and his electorate of  Maranoa first and his own career and political interests last.

The parliamentary National Party will elect a new leader later this week, and we look forward  to working with the leadership team for the benefit of regional Australia.