Nationals harvest policy ideas at meeting

The Nationals will meet in Canberra to thrash out policy ideas when the party's federal council kicks off on Friday.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack in parliament.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack will address his first Nationals federal council as leader (AAP)

All people under 35 on welfare payments would be forced to use the controversial cashless debit card under a proposal to be considered by the Nationals.

The idea from the party's youth wing is one of more than 50 motions set to be debated on Saturday at the Nationals federal council, which kicks off on Friday in Canberra.

The cashless debit card proposal would extend to people under 35 on Newstart, Youth Allowance and parenting payments.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack will address his first federal council as leader after replacing Barnaby Joyce in February.

It is understood Mr McCormack will declare the next election as the most important in a generation, with lower power prices and taxes for small businesses key policy battlegrounds.

It will be Mr Joyce's first conference since losing the leadership following a storm surrounding his affair with former adviser Vikki Campion.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will speak at Friday night's welcome reception.

In other motions up for debate, city kids would learn about farming under a proposal to make primary industries a subject for all students up to Year seven.

The WA Nationals want troops permanently stationed in the north of the state.

A Victorian push to oppose returning 450 gigalitres of water to the environment in the southern part of the Murray-Darling Basin would fly in the face of federal Nationals policy.

It would break with an agreement to return the water to the environment provided there are neutral or positive social and economic impacts.

With energy policy a burning issue within the coalition, Nationals delegates will deliberate on a Queensland LNP move to urge the federal government to support building new coal-fired power stations.

There's a separate Young Nationals motion to lift the ban on developing sustainable nuclear energy.

Two new visa categories - agricultural and regional - to help address skill shortages in the bush will also be on the table.

In communications, there will be a push for the ABC to direct 30 per cent of its resources to rural and regional Australia with a strengthened obligation to provide unbiased reporting.

There's also calls for a referendum on enshrining property rights in the constitution and ensuring the need for just compensation when government acquires property.


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Source: AAP


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