Nationals leader Matt Canavan will use a National Press Club address to unveil what he calls an Australian economic revolution, framing regional development as relief for strained public services while calling for closed borders to "mass migration" and an end to climate action that he claims undermines manufacturing. The five-point plan, dubbed the Patriot Agenda for an Australian Economic Revival, targets healthcare failures in regional areas and water security concerns ahead of the May Farrer by-election.
Regional Services Under Pressure
Canavan will point to Albury Wodonga Health as an example of where service delivery has failed. The service has been beset by problems in recent years, and its executive management was the subject of a no-confidence vote by doctors last month. Albury Wodonga Health is shaping up to be a major election issue leading into the May by-election, along with concern about the Murray Darling and water security for growers. Canavan will argue that growing and developing regional Australia would relieve strain on services in big cities and boost those in country areas.
In a draft speech seen by the ABC, Canavan will say, "I am proposing an Australian economic revolution, not a replay or a reset." He will also say, "We won't get revival by tinkering around the edges. Some of this will require the long-overdue slaying of sacred cows." Canavan will say the first such "sacred cow" must be "our naive belief that open borders for goods and people are always and everywhere a good thing."
Infrastructure and Industry Protection
The plan includes a national works program to build infrastructure projects including dams and roads, as well as seaports and spaceports. The Coalition has already announced a commission of inquiry into the Murray Darling, and Canavan will argue that dam building and refurbishment are required to protect the foodbowl. He will say, "If we don't start planning now for their refurbishment we will lose our nation's food bowl."
Canavan will identify the steel industry as a sector worth protecting, saying it has fallen victim to overseas imports. He will say, "Australia is the largest exporter of coking coal and iron ore in the world, the two main ingredients to make steel." He will add, "We should not need to import foreign steel but, just like on fuel, we have become reliant on other countries for a basic material because we have not acted in response to their protective barriers."
Climate Action and Manufacturing
Canavan will say scrapping the net zero plan is key to a successful manufacturing industry and domestic fuel security. In the speech, he will say, "To restore sovereign capability and unleash energy abundance, we must end net zero, scrap all carbon taxes and end all bans on energy production in Australia." He will also say, "A real Made in Australia agenda will only work when it is fuelled by all types of Australian energy," in reference to the Albanese government's multi-billion-dollar push to spur local manufacturing and renewables.
The plan also includes a domestic space industry and a baby boom. Canavan will say, "Our continent is uniquely placed for rocket launches," pointing to the Australian Space Agency, which was previously established by the Coalition. He will say a renewed space age could help secure Australia communications, defence and national security interests and could also boost regional populations.
Migration and Family Policy
Canavan will call for the borders to be closed to "mass migration" and will argue for measures to boost the birthrate, including favourable tax settings for dual-income households and promoting working from home. He will say these measures would help increase populations in regions and smaller towns. He will say, "In the past the opening of a new mine or factory could convince the whole family to move but today, unless the other partner has a job in their career, the family will likely stay and fly in and out instead." He will say promoting working from home in professional jobs and in the public services would help make regional relocations possible for families, and that "The public service should lead by example, and we should look at tax incentives or infrastructure concessions to encourage it in the private sector too."
The ABC said the upcoming Farrer by-election is already being talked about as a litmus test for the new opposition leader and an ascendant One Nation, and that it will also be a measure of major party politics. Canavan addressed the National Press Club on Tuesday 7 Apr 2026 at 7:10pm, in his first major address since winning the Nationals leadership last month.
Why This Matters:
The proposal frames regional healthcare crises and water security as justification for restricting migration and abandoning climate commitments, raising questions about whether border closures and fossil fuel expansion address the structural underfunding of regional public services. The no-confidence vote against Albury Wodonga Health management and ongoing Murray Darling concerns reflect years of inadequate investment in regional infrastructure and environmental protections. While dam building and infrastructure investment could support food security and regional populations, the plan's rejection of net zero targets and renewable energy development threatens long-term environmental sustainability and contradicts global efforts to address climate change. The emphasis on protectionism and closed borders over public investment in healthcare, education, and sustainable water management suggests a framework that may not address the root causes of regional disadvantage or provide equitable access to essential services for all Australians.