NATIONALS federal President Larry Anthony says a strong showing at the weekend’s federal election will see his party hold a more “assertive” position within a potential Coalition government.
Speaking on ABC television today, Mr Anthony said the Nationals could increase its standing by one to 16 members in the House of Representatives if incumbents hold on in the Queensland seats of Flynn and Capricornia, as voting continues.
He said the Nationals campaigned quite differently to their Liberal Coalition partners which was “very much grass roots” and “decentralised” focussing on a local message.
Mr Anthony also said the party had strong leadership from Barnaby Joyce and “very good” management by State divisions particularly in NSW, Victoria and the LNP in Queensland.
“That's why we've been able to maintain our position which has been quite remarkable,” he said.
“Hopefully the Coalition will be able to form a government, but again as we all know the vote is still continuing (but) if we can then I think you will see a more assertive National Party.
“It’ll be sensible, working in Coalition with the Liberal Party.”
With the Liberals losing about 15 seats, the number of cabinet and ministry positions for the Nationals is likely to increase with positions calculated on the percentage of elected members for each party.
Mr Anthony said it was “premature” but many of the potential key portfolios that Mr Joyce would be considering were ones that affected regional people, like agriculture, transport and other portfolios.
“But again we’ve got a long way to yet,” he said.
After the 2013 election, the Coalition won 90 seats with the Nationals having 15 members in the Lower House and six in the Senate.
Despite the Nationals potentially gaining one seat at the weekend’s election, the Liberals Coalition’s numbers could drop by 15 while also losing ground in the Senate where the junior Coalition partner is also expected to hold its ground.
Mr Anthony said at the 2010 and the 2013 election postal votes and absentees generally of between 60 to 65pc generally went towards his party.
He said if that trend continued, incumbent Ken O'Dowd should get over the line in Flynn but the Nationals were currently behind.
“We're just going to have to wait and see as the count continues,” he said.
Some party members are calling for a power-sharing arrangement with the Liberals rather than the traditional Coalition agreement negotiated between the two leaders to have greater influence on budget measures and other policies.
Mr Anthony said he expected the Nationals to become more assertive in areas Mr Joyce and the party had campaigned on such as nation building infrastructure projects like the inland rail and producing more dams “because water provides opportunity”.
He also cited improved communications and national projects that created economic activity “which ultimately provide those jobs in the regions and also in the capital cities”.
“I think the other thing with the Nats which has always been the case for many, many decades is that we do provide a balance in the Coalition,” he said.
“We are the junior party of course with the Liberal Party but in some ways we're more pragmatic, offer a bit more common sense and I think we're both complement each other very well.
“I think that pragmatism and that strong leadership - particularly that's been shown by our ministers - is a good combination for the Liberal Party again assuming we can form government.”
Mr Anthony said the Nationals were under “significant threat” particularly against independents in New England and Cowper.
“Obviously had a curve ball coming in with the independent Rob Oakeshott in Cowper, so it was very much going right to the core of the Nationals,” he said.
“We fought that (challenge) off and we maintained the seat of Page which was under significant threat.
“A lot of campaigning very much on the local issues (and) when the Medicare scare campaign came up, we made sure that we used our own creative…talent to produce the necessary response to that outright lie.”
Mr Anthony said the Nationals campaigned local because “we're very much a grassroots party”.
“We're part of the national narrative of course but we had our own research, we had our own sort of information telling us that this is where the challenges were and we had to address them,” he said.
“It doesn't take away from the national campaign but we had to tailor make our message, a grassroots message to the constituents, to those voters that we had to earn their trust and we have earnt their trust and we’re very grateful.
“There'll be a lot analysis going forward (but) the most important priority for the Coalition and for Australia is to see who can form a government and of course dealing with the crossbenchers both in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.”