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When Tony Abbott made Prince Philip a knight last Australia Day, one of the most savage responses came from his own frontbench.
Junior minister Michael McCormack told reporters the captain's call had exposed the government to "ridicule" and urged the prime minister to pay less attention to the "texting, latte-sipping, keyboard warriors who frequent the tapas bars of Sydney and Melbourne". Instead, McCormack said Abbott should visit his local pub, the Royal Hotel in Grong Grong, to get in touch with public sentiment. 
Abbott was soon on the phone telling the Nationals MP to rein in his criticism.
McCormack politely told him to nick off.
"I'm sorry PM, being less forthright is not in my nature," the Member for Riverina replied. "I didn't come to this place to snivel and be a backroom dealer.
"You should be more worried about backgrounding by anonymous 'rising stars' on the Liberal backbench. At least you know I'll put my name to it."
Directness comes naturally to McCormack, who has emerged as a leading contender for the leadership of the Nationals. While not as boisterous as Barnaby Joyce - the favourite to take over when Warren Truss steps down - he's anything but beige. 
He began his career as a cadet journalist The Daily Advertiser in Wagga Wagga and by 27 was editor, making him the youngest person in the country editing a daily newspaper. 
Calling it as he saw it paid off with a successful campaign to save Wagga's air force base from closure. But in a 1993 column that would return to cause him grief he wrote: "A week never goes by anymore that homosexuals and their sordid behaviour don't become further entrenched in society.
"Unfortunately gays are here and, if the disease their unnatural acts helped spread doesn't wipe out humanity, they're here to stay."
McCormack later apologised, though he remains opposed to same-sex marriage. 
In 2002 McCormack left the paper after clashing with a new manager. 
"He wanted to tell me what should and shouldn't be on the front page," McCormack recalls. "After 11 years as editor you know what your readers are interested in and I wasn't going to have someone come in from the Central Coast and dictate to me. 
"I told him not to overreach into my role. After that he told me that my job was being advertised and I shouldn't apply."
Elected to Parliament in 2010, McCormack has only held roles in the outer ministry and is little known by the wider public. Yet he is being widely touted as a potential leadership rival to Joyce - testament to the deep resistance to the deputy Nationals leader in parts of the Coalition.
Joyce contrasted himself to his less experienced colleagues recently by saying: "I've had shadow portfolios, been leader in the Senate, deputy leader of the party, been a successful minister. That's what counts. That's how people judge you when you're running for bigger things."
One Liberal minister describes McCormack as more "reliable" than Joyce. Another Liberal described McCormack as "professional" and "mature", saying: "Barnaby needs to broaden the advice he listens to while Michael is very good at reaching out across the Coalition."
Yet he's no lackey: McCormack crossed the floor in 2012 to vote against the Murray Darling Basin Plan because it would hurt farmers and businesses in his electorate.
He doesn't deny having leadership ambitions and doesn't rule out running against Joyce if the post becomes vacant this year. 
"When the time comes, I will take a look and see what the lie of the land is," he says. "I don't get too far ahead of myself. There are only 12 portraits of National Party leaders hanging in the party room. I'm sure all 21 members of the National Party would like to be up there among them."
Although "flattering" to be mentioned, he notes Truss may be around for some time. 
"I'd hate to be playing poker against him - he doesn't give much away," he says. "Warren can't and won't go on forever. I'm sure that when the time comes, the party will fall in behind the new leader and deputy leader as it should."
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