Former deputy prime ministers Tim Fischer and John Anderson have backed Riverina MP Michael McCormack to remain as leader of the Nationals.
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“Michael has only been there seven months, for God’s sake,” Mr Fischer told The Daily Advertiser.
“To not have the advantage that I had, of six years as leader before becoming deputy prime minister with a swag of contacts, he should absolutely be allowed to gain momentum on both sides of the Brisbane line.”
Mr Anderson said voters did not want to see “confirmation that white-anting has taken a permanent place in the Australian political landscape” and the party was risking a Labour victory.
Mr McCormack on Thursday denied there was push to remove him and said he had the support of his party room colleagues.
Some Nationals have made anonymous comments that Mr McCormack had not established name recognition with voters and lacked Mr Joyce’s public profile.
There has also been claims that Mr McCormack had not fought hard enough with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to advance the National Party’s agenda, particularly around new farm worker visas.
On Friday, Mr McCormack told the ABC he was “more in the Warren Truss, John Anderson style of leadership”.
Mr Fisher said Mr McCormack needed to “be able to communicate with the language that works on both sides of the Brisbane line”.
“An issue like multiculturalism is treated very differently north of the Brisbane line versus the refugees happily integrating around Wagga Wagga and Shepparton,” he said.
“I strongly support Michael in all his endeavours.”
Mr Fishcer described the agitation for a new Nationals leader as “artificial”
“It’s not deeply based and it’s as shallow as the swimming pool at Parliament House,” he said.
Mr Fischer represented parts of the Riverina for 21 years as the state member for Sturt and Murray and the federal member for Farrer.
Mr McCormack had a busy day on Friday, touring an ice cream maker in Lismore in the morning before announcing an artillery shell factory in Queensland before returning to Wagga for the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils annual general meeting.
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