Former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack has said the Coalition would have performed better in the federal election if he was the leader of the National party.
Mr McCormack, the Member for Riverina, lost a leadership ballot to Barnaby Joyce last year and has repeatedly refused to rule out making another tilt at the leadership.
"There shouldn't have been a change of leadership of the National Party in June last year, there simply shouldn't have," Mr McCormack said.
"At the last election, the Nationals were all returned to their seats, and we had a couple of transitioning seats with incumbents retiring and new members coming in, and the votes were much higher last time than they were this time."
The Coalition's numbers were decimated by a rise of independents and the Greens in the lower house, but the Nationals have managed to retain all their seats, with the possible exception of Cowper which remains too close to call.
Mr McCormack is yet to declare whether he will challenge Mr Joyce for the leadership but said he had been asked to.
"I have discussions with colleagues all the time, and some of them are wanting me to put my hand up," Mr McCormack said.
The primary vote for some Nationals, including Mr McCormack, went backwards at this election, while others in seats like Clare and Mallee saw a boost in support.
Mr Joyce praised the performance of the Nationals at the election, saying they outperformed their Coalition partners, the Liberal Party.
"Although there is a disappointment that the Coalition lost the election, the Nationals won every seat that they formally held, got within one step of two others, being Lingiari and Hunter, and even with three retirements and open seats, we won back those seats, and of course we picked up another senator," Mr Joyce said.
Mr McCormack pointed to Mr Joyce's approach to climate change policy as one factor behind the loss of Coalition seats, saying he became a target for Labor, the Greens and teal independents.
But when asked this morning whether his approach had impacted on the Coalition vote, he said there is a clear distinction between the Nationals and the Liberals.
"I'm not in the Liberal Party, I'm in the Nationals. It would be just the same to say I blame Tim Wilson for a loss of support in regional areas. People in inner-urban areas are not that stupid that they would realise the Nationals are not actually standing in those seats," Mr Joyce said.
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan told Sky News on Sunday the Coalition suffered at the ballot box for adopting policies too far to the left.
"The electorate hasn't changed all that much in three years, but we did in the last three years. We adopted a Liberal moderate platform on energy, on climate, on the culture issues, and that platform has failed"
The member for Riverina, Mr McCormack said Mr Canavan's comments during the campaign were unhelpful, and that he disagrees with the senator's sentiment.
"There were very, very difficult times, and it was all well and good for Matt Canavan to say that net zero is dead during the election campaign," Mr McCormack said.
"That didn't help matters, and certainly didn't help matters in inner-city electorates."
Mr McCormack said he was getting on with his job being the member for Riverina.
"I'm getting on with my job but, yes, the seat of Nationals leader will be vacant at our next party room meeting, and we'll see what happens."
