BARNABY Joyce has questioned whether new Greens leader Christine Milne can call herself a "country person" when she lives in the city and her party opposes live cattle exports and building new dams.
The Nationals' Senate leader said he would take Ms Milne more seriously if she were based in the bush, as he was.
His scepticism was echoed by conservative mayors in southern Queensland, an area Senator Milne will be hoping to win over as she moves to forge bonds between the Greens and rural Australia, and step out of the shadow of party founder Bob Brown.
Senator Milne will kick off her tour of the regions within weeks, her office said yesterday.
She is reaching out to country voters in a bid to differentiate herself from Senator Brown, who will retire from politics in July, and broaden the appeal of the Greens.
On taking over as leader last Friday, Senator Milne said she was "going out there as a country person to say to other country people it's time the Greens and rural Australia worked together".
The Australian
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