in brief
- David Littleproud said he delayed quitting to help steady the Coalition after internal turmoil.
- He has vowed to keep serving his electorate.
David Littleproud has resigned as leader of the National Party, saying he's had enough.
Littleproud, who was elected leader of the Nationals in May 2022 after the Coalition's election defeat, said he is too exhausted to keep leading the party, but will remain in parliament.
A meeting of Nationals members in parliament will be held by the end of the week to select a new leader.
Speaking next to his wife Amelia, he said he believed it was time to transition the party to a new leader.
"I had intended to leave the leadership after the Coalition was reformed, but I thought it was my responsibility to transition into a new leadership and the Coalition and I'm satisfied from what I've seen of Angus Taylor, and the way that he has handled itself, that we are now competitive," he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
"I'm buggered. I've had enough."
It's been a bumpy ride for the Queensland MP, who alluded to two Coalition splits as part of the reason for his departure, saying they resulting in him being a "punching bag".
In May 2025, he announced the Nationals would not renew the Coalition agreement with the Liberals over policy, before both parties reunited.
A second split took place in January under his leadership, following a dispute over hate speech laws, before the parties got back together again.
Littleproud first entered parliament in 2016 as the MP for Maranoa in Queensland, one of the safest seats in the country.
While he said he was looking forward to spending more time with his family, he said he was not giving up on Maranoa — a massive, predominantly rural electorate covering an enormous 729,897sqm of southern and western Queensland.
'I want ... that spring in my step'
Littleproud added he was happy to continue to serve the Nationals Party in "whatever capacity", though he wouldn't suggest who may put their hand up to replace him as leader.
He said he wanted to enjoy his work again.
"I want to come back to this place, as I did when I first got into parliament, with that spring in my step, the excitement of coming here, throwing a few grenades, having a couple of beers and enjoying myself, and I haven’t had that for a while."
He also had positive words for new Opposition leader Angus Taylor.
"I just look you the eye, shake your hand. That's how you do business. You know, I can do that with Angus Taylor, and the new leader will be able to do that," he said.
Speaking to reporters following Littleproud's announcement, Taylor reflected the sentiment, describing the outgoing Nationals leader as a “man of his handshake”.
"He has played a crucial role, as he said in his press conference a few moments ago, in shaping the direction of the Coalition, shaping the direction of policy across our side of politics over the last four years.
"David is a man of great dignity who has led his party with great energy and commitment … I know he will continue to support the National party, the Coalition and this great country. And I thank him for his extraordinary service."
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