Newly-minted Nationals leader Matt Canavan set to unleash attack on net zero, migration in radical economic blueprint at Press Club address

Nationals leader Matt Canavan will use his first National Press Club address to outline what he describes as an “economic revolution” for Australia, calling for the nation to scrap its net zero target, rebuild manufacturing, and “make things again”.

Framing his speech around anecdotes of building furniture in his backyard shed, the Queensland senator is expected to use the image of hands-on work to argue that Australia has lost its identity as a nation of builders and producers.

He is set to highlight the pride and meaning that comes from creating tangible products, linking personal craftsmanship to national prosperity.

Mr Canavan is expected to warn that living standards have declined as factories closed and local manufacturing diminished, pointing to wages stagnating over the past decade.

“We have never experienced a reduction in living standards like we are seeing today,” he is expected to say, pointing to real wages falling back to 2011 levels and arguing a generation of Australians had “gone backwards a generation”.

The newly elected Nationals leader will say frustration with the political status quo is growing.

“As the newly elected leader of the Nationals, I intend to give people what they want and shake things up,” he said.

“Our country needs an economic revolution.”

“DJ Albo has been reduced to the role of a cover band, singing the greatest hits from the 80s, and they’re just not as good as the original.

It is understood that central to his pitch will be abandoning Australia’s commitment to net zero emissions.

“We need to scrap net zero. We need to make things again,” he will say, and argue the energy transition had pushed up power prices, hurt industry and increased dependence on imports.

“This is not about saying no to renewables, but about saying yes to everything that works,” he will say.

He will present himself as a disruptor of the political status quo, signalling that the Nationals under his leadership intend to challenge the current government and shake up economic policy.

A central theme of the address is likely to be abandoning Australia’s net zero commitments.

The senator is also anticipated to push a “patriot agenda for an Australian economic revival”, centred on protectionist policies, lower migration, major infrastructure spending, and measures to lift the birthrate.

He is expected to call for tariffs to shield key industries, warn about Australia’s dependence on imports, and criticise subsidies for heavy industry.

Infrastructure projects will be a major focus, with Mr Canavan likely to advocate for a “21st-century national works program” encompassing dams, power plants, roads, rail, ports, and even space-related projects.

He will emphasise regional development, suggesting that work-from-home opportunities could help decentralise the population and make housing more affordable for families.

The senator is also expected to link population policy to national identity, arguing that Australia’s falling birthrate threatens the country’s future and that immigration systems need tighter oversight.

Mr Canavan is expected to end on a note of optimism, stressing that Australia’s natural resources and geography provide the foundation for renewed prosperity and growth.

He is set to call for a patriotic, forward-looking agenda that encourages families, regional development, and economic self-reliance.