Opposition to an Indigenous voice to parliament within the Nationals is firming, with Darren Chester taking the portfolios left vacant by outgoing Andrew Gee.
Mr Gee quit after its partyroom decision to oppose constitutionally enshrining a voice to parliament, although support for that call has since dwindled.
Mr Chester wasted no time declaring where he stands on the voice referendum on Wednesday when he took over as opposition spokesperson for regional education, regional development, and local government and territories.
He said he supports constitutional recognition but is personally opposed to enshrining the voice into Australia's founding document.
"There is nothing stopping the prime minister from coming to the parliament in the first week next year, and legislating for such an organisation," he said.
"But once you move to enshrine it in the constitution, you're saying for all times, in the content of constitutional Australia, our founding document, that this body has to exist, and I have a problem with that."
Mr Gee quit the party to the crossbench in late December and questioned the Nationals' "purported united front opposing the voice", saying that was not his position.
"I can't reconcile the fact that every Australian will get a free vote on the vitally important issue of the Voice, yet National Party MPs are expected to fall into line behind a party position that I fundamentally disagree with, and vote accordingly in parliament," he said.
"While I respect the views of my colleagues, this just isn't right."
Mr Chester, the member for Gippsland served as the minister for infrastructure and veterans' affairs and was elevated to cabinet by Malcolm Turnbull in 2016.
"Anyone who lives and works in country areas understands the importance of regional education and the role local government plays in their community, particularly with what we're seeing right now with the flood response and recovery," he said.
The Nationals Anne Webster will take over as regional health spokeswoman.
Nationals leader David Littleproud said the Nationals will make regional education and childcare a top priority, saying there's a crisis in rural Australia.
He said billions of dollars in government subsidies hadn't created one extra place for families living in parts of the country outside the cities.
"We have a childcare crisis in regional and rural Australia," he told Sky News.
"If you live outside a capital city, it's not about affordability, it's actually about accessibility.
"You have families that can't go back to work because they can't find a place."
