New Nationals Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack MPs toughest job will be distancing himself from his poor voting record on regional issues.

The new Nationals Leader says he will fight for regional Australia and never be silent.

Well he needs to explain why he voted to cut penalty rates costing low paid workers $77 a week in regional Australia.

He needs to explain why he cut regional University funding when there is a 14 per cent gap in participation in higher education between regional Australia and our capital cities.

He needs to explain why he supports a Medicare freeze when out of pocket expenses is costing Australians an average of $47 to visit a GP.

And he needs to explain why he supports a second-rate copper NBN when there is a 9 per cent gap in access to affordable broadband for people living in regional Australia.

At every opportunity Michael McCormack has voted to make life harder for people living in regional areas.

The Nationals talk a big talk on regional issues but they fail to walk the walk.

If Michael McCormack wants to be taken seriously then he must start living up to his rhetoric and stand up for regional Australia.

Regional Australia has had enough of Liberal National MPs who say one thing and do another. Its time they start putting regional people first.