Politics & Council
11 November, 2025
Walsh takes No 2 spot in federal heirarchy
VETERAN Murray Plains MP Peter Walsh has been elected vice-president of the Nationals’ federal council.
Mr Walsh, the former Boort farmer and Victorian Farmers’ Federation president who has represented Loddon communites in State Parliament for more than 20 years, was elected at the weekend.
In his 10 years as leader of the Victorian Nationals, Mr Walsh guided the party to its strongest state presence since the 1940s – at the same time as the Labor Government was being overwhelmingly returned to office.
Announcing he will retire at the November 2026 election, after 24 years in the Victorian Parliament, Mr Walsh said he was taking the next steps to ensuring the party continued to increase its representation and relevance.
“The Nationals story truly belongs on the national stage and it is the job of federal council, as our supreme governing body, to help with everything from policy decisions and the party’s federal constitution to establishing committees and assessing all organisations wanting to affiliate or associate with The Nationals,” Mr Walsh says.
“Even better, not only are members of our federal management committee delegates to the federal council, along with our federal and state parliamentarians, more than half the federal council delegates are branch members Which means everyone has the opportunity to have a say on where and how we are going as a political party.
“At least two-thirds of federal conference delegates are local branch members, which ensures neither parliamentary nor other organisational numbers dominate voting outcomes.
“That’s a fantastic democratic tradition and I will be working hard to make sure that’s what guides us into the future.” Mr Walsh will now also be a member of the federal management committee, which meets quarterly and is directly responsible for managing the party’s business.
“Like all things, this will be a learning curve for me, to be helping manage politics Australia wide but I am looking forward to the opportunity of continuing to serve the people of regional Victoria – and regional Australia,” he said.