Barnaby Joyce, a wombat or just a bloke down on his luck?

A new leader with different habits?

A wombat eats roots and leaves

Each election, the National Party leader hits the hustings on the 'wombat trail', traversing key rural and regional seats across the country.

Theories differ as to why the campaign is named after a chubby marsupial, but the preferred explanation is that, like a wombat, Nats leaders have traditionally ambled about on slower, older planes in electorates off the beaten track.

Some Nationals have also joked about how a wombat "eats roots and leaves", but these days they'd rather let that one lie.

This election, Michael McCormack is the Nationals leader.