Acting Prime Minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack has flayed leakers within the government as selfish promoters of their own agenda who do not understand the cold desolation of opposition.

Mr McCormack told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age there were people actively working against the interests of the government who should consider leaving politics if they continued to white-ant their fellow MPs.

In a wide-ranging discussion of the scandal surrounding Nationals member for Mallee, Andrew Broad, and the pressures facing the government, Mr McCormack said it was time for some Coalition politicians to realise the electoral damage they were causing.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack says some of his MPs don't know the cold desolation of opposition. Credit:Nick Moir

"Surely they can see what's going to happen if they keep this up. Maybe some of them haven't been in the cold, desolate days of opposition," he said.