. 3 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives , ▁its ▁lowest ▁ever , ▁and ▁won ▁only ▁ 1 6 ▁seats , ▁at ▁ 1 0 . 8 % ▁its ▁second ▁lowest ▁proportion ▁of ▁seats . ▁ ▁The ▁National ▁Party ▁under ▁Fischer ▁and ▁his ▁successor , ▁John ▁Anderson , ▁rarely ▁engaged ▁in ▁public ▁disag re ements ▁with ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party , ▁which ▁weak ened ▁the ▁party ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁present ▁a ▁separate ▁image ▁to ▁rural ▁and ▁regional ▁Australia . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁the ▁National ▁Party ▁recorded ▁its ▁second - wor st ▁result ▁at ▁ 5 . 6 % ▁winning ▁ 1 3 ▁seats , ▁and ▁its ▁third ▁lowest ▁at ▁ 5 . 9 % ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁election , ▁winning ▁only ▁ 1 2 ▁seats . ▁ ▁Australian ▁pse ph ologist ▁Anton y ▁Green ▁arg ues ▁that ▁two ▁important ▁tr ends ▁have ▁driven ▁the ▁National ▁Party ' s ▁decl ine ▁at ▁a ▁federal ▁level : ▁" the ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁rural ▁sector ▁to ▁the ▁health ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁economy " ▁and ▁" the ▁growing ▁ch asm ▁between ▁the ▁values ▁and ▁att itudes ▁of ▁rural ▁and ▁urban ▁Australia ". ▁Green ▁has ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁result ▁has ▁been ▁that ▁" B oth ▁have ▁resulted ▁in ▁rural ▁and ▁regional ▁vot ers ▁demand ing ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Party , ▁at ▁exactly ▁the ▁time ▁when ▁its ▁political ▁influence ▁has ▁decl ined . ▁While ▁the ▁National ▁Party ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁the ▁sole ▁representative ▁of ▁rural ▁Australia