How much influence Member for New England and former Leader of The Nationals, Barnaby Joyce, had in the inner city seats won by the Teal Independents will probably never be fully quantified.
His defeat in the party room earlier in the week cements a change of direction from his colleagues and how they focus on meeting the challenge of climate change.
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One certainty is that any policy involving climate change will be heavily scrutinised by the new Government seeking ways to keep The Nats and its coalition partners on the other side of the treasury benches.
Likewise, the Liberals will be watching the Nationals' moves with a feeling their staunch conservative ideals cost them dearly in their inner-city seats where experience and seats were lost to the Teals.
Meanwhile, the only Australian politician with real single Christian name recognition, Barnaby, got the souffle to rise twice when he defeated Michael McCormack in the party room to take leadership back in June 2021. But even the most optimistic soul could not expect a third rising.
There will be a pile on Barnaby with remarks of his value in hindsight.
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But his legacy in the New England electorate of a safe thoroughfare on the New England Highway through Bolivia Hill; the defeat of the Booroolong frog and the subsequent enlargement of Chaffey Dam from 62 gigalitres to 104GL and the Scone bypass is there for all to see.
Meanwhile, Littleproud potentially represents the handing of the baton to the next generation in the party.
While the Nationals held their ground, they do need to consider how they now appeal to that next generation of voters in the bush.
The choice of Littleproud also might allow the party to get behind one leader and leave behind the mess of spills past that still lingered even through to Monday's party room vote.
With rural seats having gone strongly to the Nationals in the recent election but the government going to Labor, with The Greens having the balance of power in the senate, it is going to be a very challenging three years for the Nationals to make sure the bush's voice is heard.
While it will allow the Nationals, and Liberals, some time to reorganise their policy priorities, it's also going to be a difficult time to make sure climate deals also recognise the contribution the rural sector has to offer.
