Canavan Leads Nationals, Faces Byelection Test

0:00In Sydney, it's March 11th. Here's what is happening. Matt Cannivan is taken over as leader of the nationals after a party vote sparked by David Little Proud's sudden resignation earlier this week. The Queensland conservative beat out Kevin Hogan and Bridget McKenzie in a tight three-way race to step into the top job. Meanwhile, Darren Chester was picked as the new deputy leader, taking over from Hogan. This shake-up comes at a tough time for the coalition, which is struggling in the polls. The new team now faces the challenge of turning things around and blocking one nation for making gains in rural areas. Regional voters are key, and the nationals want to hold their ground. Their first big test is the Farmer by election on May 9th, caused by former liberal leader of Susan Lay retiring from parliament. Cannivan brings a strong right-wing voice to the role. Elected in 2013, after working as Barnaby Joyce's Chief of Staff, he's pushed hard against net zero emissions targets by 2050. He's called for new coal power plants and spoken out on vaccine mandates.

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