New Nationals leader David Littleproud has challenged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to prove regional Australians won't miss out under Labor, urging him to guarantee the $21 billion infrastructure spending bonanza included in the Coalition's final budget.
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The new leader has also revealed he believes the time has come for a "mature" national conversation about lifting the ban on nuclear energy.
Mr Littleproud seized the Nationals leadership on Monday afternoon, defeating his former boss Barnaby Joyce in a party room vote in Canberra.
NSW senator Perin Davey was elected deputy while Bridget McKenzie remains the Nationals' leader in the Senate.
Mr Joyce has offered his full support to the leadership team as it embarks on the "mighty task ahead of them".
The three-way leadership contest was framed as a choice about whether the Nationals would veer further to the right or reposition itself in the centre after the Coalition's bruising election defeat.
Mr Littleproud said he wanted to position the Nationals in the "sensible" centre because that was where federal elections were won.
"This is about us, as a party, moving forward, not lurching to the left, not lurching to the right ... but bringing this thing called common sense to Canberra," he said.
The former agriculture minister has also vowed to step up the fight for regional Australia, amid fears the bush could be overlooked under a Labor government which has fewer representatives outside the cities than the Liberals and Nationals.
In an interview with ACM, Mr Littleproud was concerned Mr Albanese wouldn't deliver the $21 billion regional infrastructure and development packaged included in the Coalition's pre-election budget.
The package, which included $5.4 billion to build Hells Gate dam in north Queensland and $7 billion to "turbocharge" four regional centres, was widely seen as the Nationals' price for signing up to net zero emissions by 2050.
"Despite the rhetoric of saying they [Labor] will govern for all Australians, I feel that regional Australians will be the ones that miss out," Mr Littleproud said.
"I think this is an opportunity for Anthony Albanese to prove, to prove in his words, that regional Australia won't miss out."
Mr Littleproud has reaffirmed his support for the net zero target, but signaled the Nationals wouldn't pursue stronger action, including backing Labor's plans to legislate a 43 per cent emissions reduction target for 2030.
However, Mr Littleproud will push for a debate on lifting the moratorium on nuclear energy in Australia, revealing he's already planning to raise the issue with the new Prime Minister.
"Unfortunately, in the past, there has been this demonisation ... without even putting the lens over new nuclear technology like small-scale modular," he said.
"Our party room will come to a position on that and it's one [issue] that obviously we're very passionate about.
"We should back ourselves as Australians to do it better and safer than anyone else. But we need to educate before we legislate."
One of a small number of federal parliamentarians who doesn't hold a university degree, Mr Littleproud hoped his rise to the Nationals leadership would inspire young people to pursue their dreams.
"This reaffirms we live in the greatest country in the planet," he said.
