The latest federal leader of the Nationals, Matt Canavan, appeared at the National Press Club last week. Without a seat in the House of Representatives, or the opportunity to lock horns with the prime minister, Canavan doesn’t really have a platform to advance his agenda, apart from Sky News, so this was a potentially important moment, but anyone hoping for some substance behind the spin left disappointed.
‘I am proposing a revolution,’ announced the senator from Yeppoon. So what would a Canavan revolution amount to? More Australian-made stuff, less foreign students and migrants in general, more coal and gas, less renewables, more children, less tax. That’s pretty much it.
Like his mentor Barnaby Joyce, another small-time accountant made good (to put a positive spin on transitioning to politics), maths does not appear to be Matt’s strong point.
In Canavan-world, you can prop up uncompetitive Australian industries with government assistance, while simultaneously reducing the taxes on the massive companies ripping the place off. You can discourage the international students who underwrite the education sector and completely ignore the climate emergency that is destroying rural Australia, but somehow also build multiple new cities, dams and mines, and breed your way out of any issues that may arise by encouraging Australian-born women to have many more children, while simultaneously reducing childcare subsidies.
Apparently this nonsense is the best bulwark against One Nation that the Nationals can offer. And where is their Coalition partner on this latest, numerically-challenged version of bush socialism? According to Canavan, his ‘great friendship’ with Angus Taylor will smooth over any policy differences.
Drill baby drill
Matt Canavan’s great achievement, according to him, is attacking any progress on net zero, the pathetically unambitious plan to reduce Australia’s climate destroying emissions, which don’t exist in his own mind, or those of the post-Sussan Ley Liberals. Instead it’s all drill baby drill and dig baby dig, environmental consequences be damned.
Although he is one of those responsible for delaying the inevitable, electric, renewable energy powered transition which would have helped insulate Australia from the unfolding disaster caused by skyrocketing fuel prices, Canavan attempted to use the current crisis to further justify his fossil-fuelled position.
Bear in mind that this is the cap-wearing bloke who celebrated the re-election of Donald Trump with Big Macs and a social media lovefest in Parliament House, that same rogue president currently driving many rural Australians into bankruptcy with his criminal war in Iran. Does Matt have any buyer’s regret on that score?
‘I don’t agree with Donald Trump on a few things lately,’ he said, before launching into a defence of tariffs.
After his speech, Canavan was asked directly, ‘Do you believe the alliance has been damaged by Donald Trump?’ He refused to answer this question, which any Australian beyond third grade could comfortably manage, instead waffling about the benefits of distance and Australia’s ‘massive resources’.
Ridiculous contributions
Minutes after talking up Australian manufacturing, and calling for protectionism, Matt Canavan attacked Labor’s subsidies to assist green energy and industries, echoing his fellow senator Bridget McKenzie, who recently used parliament to attack what she described as the ‘ridiculous contributions from the Labor Party senators, who somehow think you can hook up a B-double full of cattle, coming down from Rockhampton to Brisbane, and actually use an electric truck? Seriously?’
McKenzie is theoretically the Coalition’s spokesperson for transport, but didn’t manage to bestir herself to get out on the Parliament House lawn last week for a demonstration of the latest heavy electric trucks, ahead of a major gathering for the Freight Forward 2026 summit on commercial vehicle decarbonisation.
After testing in Australian conditions, these machines have shown their potential to do exactly what McKenzie ridiculed, faster than their diesel competitors, and using renewable energy. Unfortunately this country is lagging far behind places like China with electric freight, thanks largely to the ‘contributions’ of the Nationals and their on-again off-again Coalition partners.
Still, having Matt Canavan at the helm of the Nats is not as bad as it could have been. If David Littleproud’s succession plan had gone as envisaged, we might have had to listen to Kevin Hogan at the National Press Club last week.
Originally from Canberra, David Lowe is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and photographer with particular interests in the environment and politics. He’s known for his campaigning work with Cloudcatcher Media.
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