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David Littleproud

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The Honourable
David Littleproud
MP
Littleproud in 2021
Leader of the National Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
30 May 2022
DeputyPerin Davey
Preceded byBarnaby Joyce
Deputy Leader of the National Party
In office
4 February 2020 – 30 May 2022
LeaderMichael McCormack
Barnaby Joyce
Preceded byBridget McKenzie
Succeeded byPerin Davey
Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia
In office
2 July 2021 – 23 May 2022
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byHimself (Agriculture)
Keith Pitt (Northern Australia)
Succeeded byMadeleine King (Northern Australia)
Murray Watt (Agriculture)
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management
In office
6 February 2020 – 2 July 2021
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byBridget McKenzie (Agriculture)
Himself (Drought and Emergency Management)
Succeeded byHimself (Agriculture)
Bridget McKenzie (Emergency Management)
Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management
In office
29 May 2019 – 6 February 2020
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byHimself (Water Resources)
Linda Reynolds (Emergency Management)
Succeeded byKeith Pitt (Water)
Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources
In office
20 December 2017 – 29 May 2019
Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull
Scott Morrison
Preceded byBarnaby Joyce
Succeeded byBridget McKenzie (Agriculture)
Himself (Water Resources)
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Maranoa
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 July 2016
Preceded byBruce Scott
Personal details
Born (1976-09-04) 4 September 1976 (age 48)
Chinchilla, Queensland, Australia
Political partyNationals (LNP)
Parent
EducationChinchilla State High School
Toowoomba Grammar School
OccupationRural banker

David Kelly Littleproud (born 4 September 1976) is an Australian politician who has been the leader of the National Party since May 2022. He has represented the Queensland seat of Maranoa since the 2016 federal election and was a cabinet minister in the Turnbull and Morrison governments.

Littleproud grew up in Chinchilla, Queensland, the son of former state government minister Brian Littleproud. He worked as an agribusiness banker with NAB and Suncorp before entering politics. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016. Littleproud was appointed to cabinet the following year, subsequently serving as Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources (2017–2019), Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management (2019–2020), Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management (2020–2021), and Agriculture and Northern Australia (2021–2022). He was elected deputy leader of the Nationals in February 2020 under Michael McCormack. He retained the position under Barnaby Joyce and successfully challenged Joyce for the leadership following the Coalition's defeat at the 2022 election.

Early life

Littleproud was born in Chinchilla, Queensland. His grandfather George Littleproud served on the Chinchilla Shire Council, while his father Brian Littleproud was a state Nationals MP and government minister.[1] He attended Chinchilla State High School and Toowoomba Grammar School.[2] As of 2019, he was one of the two members of the national cabinet who had no tertiary qualification.[3]

Littleproud was an agribusiness banker before entering politics.[4] He spent 17 years with the National Australia Bank (NAB), including 12 years based in Warwick, Queensland, as district manager (agribusiness and commercial). He joined Suncorp in 2011 as executive manager (business and agribusiness banking) for South West Queensland.[5] As of 2018 Littleproud was the owner of Mr Rental Southern Downs, a rent-to-buy business that employed four people.[6]

Political career

Littleproud in Brazil in 2018

Littleproud was elected to parliament in 2016, succeeding retiring Nationals MP Bruce Scott.[4]

Within 18 months, Littleproud was elevated directly to cabinet as Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, following a reshuffle of the Second Turnbull Ministry. He was sworn in at Government House in Canberra on 20 December 2017.[7][8]

In November 2018, Littleproud was additionally appointed Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Drought Preparation and Response. Following the Morrison Government's return at the 2019 federal election, his title was changed to Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management. He re-assumed the agriculture portfolio following Bridget McKenzie's resignation in February 2020, becoming Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management.[9]

Deputy leadership

Littleproud was viewed as a potential candidate to replace Barnaby Joyce as National Party leader in February 2018. The position was eventually won by Michael McCormack.[10] On 4 February 2020, following Bridget McKenzie's resignation, he defeated Keith Pitt and David Gillespie to become deputy leader of the National Party.[11][12] The ballot for the deputy leadership was held simultaneously with a leadership spill in which McCormack defeated a challenge by Joyce. It was subsequently suggested that Littleproud could emerge as a compromise candidate if conflict continues between supporters of McCormack and Joyce.

Leadership of National Party

Littleproud challenged incumbent Nationals Party leader Barnaby Joyce along with Darren Chester in a three-way contest for the leadership of the party on 30 May 2022 after the incumbent Liberal/National Coalition government lost office to the Labor opposition. The Nationals party room got bigger, however, their coalition partner suffered massive seat losses due to Joyce's unpopularity in those particular seats being used against them. [13][14] Littleproud was elected Leader of the National Party with Perin Davey as deputy, replacing Joyce.

Political positions

Murray-Darling Basin

On 14 February 2018, Labor voted with the Greens to disallow a mechanism in the Murray Darling Basin Plan which would have prevented farmers in the Northern Basin giving up 70 GL (7.0×1010 L) of water which otherwise would have been lost to seepage and evaporation.[15] The disallowance motion triggered a crisis in basin states when New South Wales and Victoria pledged to abandon the Plan as a result. It was widely considered the withdrawal of the two largest states would see the Basin Plan dismantled after it had taken more than a century to strike the agreement.[16] On 7 May 2018, in the lead up to a second disallowance motion that would have blocked 36 environmental water savings projects, Littleproud struck a deal with Labor that both secured the works in question and the 70 GL recovery reduction for Northern Basin farmers which had previously been disallowed. This effectively resurrected the Murray-Darling Basin Plan by reassuring Basin states the Plan would be fulfilled as agreed in 2012.[17] In addition to securing the Basin Plan, Littleproud delivered enhanced protections for Aboriginal people in the Basin. This included an Indigenous position on the MDBA board and a world-first $40 million indigenous fund so Aboriginal communities could buy water for either cultural or economic purposes.[18]

Regional Investment Corporation

Littleproud at a July 2018 meeting with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue

Littleproud successfully negotiated with the Senate cross bench for passage of legislation establishing the Regional Investment Corporation. On 6 February 2018 the new laws passed the upper house,[19] breaking a political deadlock that had dragged on months. On 16 May 2018 it was announced that the RIC's headquarters would be set up in Orange, New South Wales, fulfilling in part the Nationals' commitment to deliver public service jobs to regional areas.[20]

Same-sex marriage

In December 2017, Littleproud was one of four members of the House of Representatives to vote against the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017, which legalised same-sex marriage in Australia.[21] Littleproud had pledged to vote according to the majority response of his electorate of Maranoa in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, and Maranoa recorded a result of 56.1% against changing the definition of marriage.[22]

Personal life

Littleproud has three children. He and his wife Sarah announced their separation in 2019, ending a 20-year marriage.[23]

As on 23 October 2021, Littleproud possesses a large share portfolio in the resources industry: he owns shares in BHP, mining company South32, oil and gas exploration company Blue Energy, iron ore company Atlas and engineering company Ausenco.[24]

References

  1. ^ Burgess, Katie (15 February 2020). "'You get it into your blood': For David Littleproud, politics is a family affair". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  2. ^ "ABOUT HON DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP". Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  3. ^ "What Degrees do Ministers in Australia Have and Why it Matters (Guess the top 3!)". Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Maranoa – Australia Votes". Election 2016. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Suncorp appoints new agribusiness head for Sth West Qld". Farm Online. 15 June 2011. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Minister defends rent-to-buy business". Armidale Express. 26 February 2018. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Queensland National MP David Littleproud becomes Australia's new agriculture minister". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  8. ^ Turnbull, Malcolm (19 December 2017). "Ministerial Arrangements" (Press release). Government of Australia. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018. David Littleproud will become Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. He will bring to the role two decades of experience in agribusiness before he joined parliament.
  9. ^ "Hon David Littleproud MP". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  10. ^ McIlroy, Tom (23 February 2018). "Nationals leadership: who could replace Barnaby Joyce?". The Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Bridget McKenzie quits Cabinet, resigns as deputy Nationals leader". ABC News. 2 February 2020. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  12. ^ Worthington, Brett (4 February 2020). "Joyce fails to topple McCormack for Nationals leadership". ABC News. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  13. ^ Grattan, Michelle (14 February 2020). "Morrison can only look on as Nationals' 'wicked problem' damages his government". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  14. ^ "Michael McCormack dismisses claims he will stand down as Nationals leader". The Guardian Australia. 16 February 2020. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  15. ^ "Basin Plan Amendments disallowed by Parliament". Murray-Darling Basin Authority. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Murray Darling Basin Plan under threat following disallowance motion". The Land. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Statement on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan". Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  18. ^ "New safeguard for Indigenous water rights". Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Regional Investment Corporation to go ahead as Coalition agrees to changes". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 February 2018. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Regional Investment Corporation Based in Orange". farmingahead.com.au. 21 May 2018. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  21. ^ "House of Representatives Hansard THURSDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2017". Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  22. ^ "Same-sex marriage and the defining image that almost wasn't". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 11 December 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  23. ^ "MP's marriage breakdown revealed as election looms". South Burnett Times. 8 January 2019. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  24. ^ NAPIER-RAMAN, Kishor (20 October 2021). "Holding the country ransom while owning mining shares — guess who?". Crikey. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Maranoa
2016–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources
2017–2019 		Succeeded by
Bridget McKenzie (Agriculture)
Himself (Water Resources)
Preceded by
Himself
as Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources 		Minister for Water Resources
2019–2020 		Succeeded byas Minister for Resources and Water
Preceded by
Bridget McKenzie (Agriculture)
Himself (Water Resources)
 Minister for Agriculture,
Drought and Emergency Management
2020–2021 		Succeeded by
Himself (Agriculture)
Bridget McKenzie (Emergency Management)
Preceded by
Himself (Agriculture)
Keith Pitt (Northern Australia)
 Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia
2021–2022 		Succeeded by
Madeleine King (Northern Australia)
Murray Watt (Agriculture)
Party political offices
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the National Party
2020–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the National Party
2022–present 		Incumbent
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