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Pitt, a conservative Queensland MP who was resources minister in the Morrison government, said he would step down from his safe Bundaberg-based seat of Hinkler at the next election after 11 years in parliament.
Pitt championed coal as resources minister and told The Australian that Littleproud should “stand up” to Dutton and the Liberals.
“And to do that, you’ve got to separate from your brothers and sisters in the Liberal Party because they have, on occasions, different views to us,” Pitt said. “In my view, political parties without purpose soon disappear.”
Former minister Keith Pitt has announced he is departing politics.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Pitt’s exit adds to the growing list of opposition MPs leaving parliament ahead of the 2025 election, which also includes former ministers Linda Reynolds and Karen Andrews, as well as Warren Entsch, Mark Coulton, Rowan Ramsey and David Gillespie.
The Nationals committed to a policy of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 under Barnaby Joyce’s leadership. In his official statement, Pitt wished Dutton, who plans to hit net zero in part by building a fleet of nuclear power plants, well.
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Littleproud hit back in a statement, saying the Nationals had set the country’s agenda and protected regional Australia against Labor under his leadership.
Dutton said on Friday that Pitt was a friend and an “incredibly smart guy” who was frustrated to be kept on the Nationals backbench.
“He’s had a job offer in the private sector and he’s going to take that,” Dutton told Today.
Pitt was among the ministers kept in the dark about former prime minister Scott Morrison’s decision to have himself secretly sworn into their ministerial portfolios. Morrison took control of resources when he disagreed with Pitt about a proposal to drill for gas off the NSW coast.
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Joyce said Pitt was right about the value of the junior Coalition partner standing up to the Liberals.
“If [the Nationals] are not getting something out of it, there’s no point,” Joyce said. But he defended Littleproud, who beat him in a vote after the last election to become party leader.
“I think David’s doing the best job he can,” Joyce told Sky. “I think David’s is going as hard as he can.”