“I’m satisfied from what I’ve seen of Angus Taylor and the way that he has handled himself that we are now competitive again.
“The values and principles gave me confidence the coalition is on the right track. He is a man who would be a great prime minister.”
But of himself, Littleproud said he was not up to the job.
“I’m buggered and I’ve had enough,” he said.
“To lead this great party would be the wrong thing for me.
“I love the National Party. I grew up in it and I’ll bleed until the day I die green and gold.
“I love it and it would be wrong for me to say I’m the right person to lead it.
“I don’t have the energy, I am out and done.”
The member for Maranoa held back tears as he said he would continue representing his west Queensland electorate.
“It is time for me to feel normal again,” he said.
“It has been a pretty rough road since the election.”
Turning to his wife, he said: “But I get to go home to my wife, Amelia, and my family and I want to spend more time with them.”
He added he still loved coming to Canberra and he wanted to “come back as I did when I first came to Parliament, with a spring in my step”.
Responding to media, his wife said that “since the election it has been a real battle to try and rebuild some energy and get back into the headspace that he needs … to be his best and be able to perform for the National Party”.
“Personally, I’m really proud of the achievement he has made as leader of the National Party,” she said.
“It properly reflects … what’s on the minds of regional and rural Australians.”
Littleproud has led the Nationals since 2022 and survived multiple leadership spills.
Taylor paid tribute to his outgoing Nationals counterpart, acknowledging his “crucial role” in shaping the direction of the coalition, from nuclear to the failed Voice referendum.
“The night after I became leader of the Liberal Party, David and I had dinner, and we spoke about how to get the coalition back on track,” the Opposition Leader said.
“Everything he said to me that night, he has done. He is a man of his worth. He is a man of his handshake And, I have found that consistently, not just in the last few weeks since I’ve become a leader, but I have seen that over a long period of time.
“I also know he’s a great patriot, and he believes in this country, and he gets up each day to fight for rural and regional Australia, but to fight for Australia.”
In a statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he and Littleproud had “always” been able to separate politics from their personal engagements.
“Prior to Question Time today, David Littleproud did me the courtesy of informing me that he would be stepping down as leader of the Nationals,” Albanese said.
“As has always been the case, we were able to have that genuine and personal conversation with total confidence. I have always valued that and I thank him for it.
“David and I come from very different political traditions and backgrounds but we share a mutual respect for the great honour of serving in the Parliament of Australia and have been able to work together on many issues affecting his community, the regions and our national interest.”
Albanese said it was “a significant achievement to be chosen to lead your party and David can look back on his four years as leader of the Nationals and 10 years as member for Maranoa knowing he has given his utmost”.
“I wish him well and I am sure he will continue to make a contribution on the backbench in the service of his regional Queensland electorate,” Albanese said.
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