Peter Dutton has been elected unopposed as the new Liberal leader, and former environment minister Sussan Ley will become his deputy.
Mr Dutton, the former Defence Minister, won a party room leadership spill in Canberra on Monday and will replace Scott Morrison who led the coalition to defeat at the federal election.
He is the first Queenslander to lead the Liberal Party since it was founded in 1944.
The Dickson MP had been touted as Mr Morrison’s likely replacement since the coalition lost government on May 21.
Mr Dutton, a former police officer, had spruiked his credentials for the job of opposition leader.
“In a prime minister you need someone who won’t buckle in hard times and will stand up for our country and I have proven that in the portfolios I’ve had,”
he wrote on Facebook.
“My work ethic is second to none and I have the skill and experience having served five leaders and have learnt from each.”
Mr Dutton has pledged to take the party back to its core values and represent the aspirational “forgotten people” of Australia.
“We aren’t the Moderate Party. We aren’t the Conservative Party. We are Liberals,”
the post said.
Mr Morrison congratulated Mr Dutton and Ms Ley on winning the leadership positions.
“They are incredibly experienced, well versed, deeply, deeply committed Australians to both the Liberal cause and of course the cause of the nation and I think they’ll do an outstanding job and I look forward to giving them all of my full support,” he said.
“It was a good opportunity for me to thank my colleagues for their great loyalty and support over these past more than three and a half years and to do that both on my behalf as well as on behalf of my dear friend Josh Frydenberg, who we’re all very sad couldn’t be with us today. There was a rousing cheer for Josh, as there should be.”
David Littleproud is the next Nationals leader
David Littleproud has been chosen as the next leader of the Nationals.
Mr Littleproud ousted former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce following a post-election leadership spill in Canberra on Monday morning, with NSW Senator Perin Davey elected deputy.
Three people each had been nominated for the leader and deputy positions.
Addressing the media post-spill, Mr Littleproud described his win as “the proudest day of my professional life”.
“I believe passionately in the National Party because we are all there is about regional and rural Australia. We are the conscience of rural and regional Australia right here in this parliament,”
he said.
Mr Littleproud said the Nationals would draw upon the “strength” of Ms Davey and Senate leader Bridget McKenzie in his leadership team.
“And I’m proud to say that part of my leadership is two bright, articulate, powerful women. That’s the National Party way.”
