Barnaby Joyce confirms One Nation move on Tamworth radio station with Pauline Hanson
Updated ,first published
Barnaby Joyce has confirmed he will join One Nation and run for Senate in NSW at the next election. Appearing on Tamworth radio We went to the station with party leader Pauline Hanson to make the announcement.
Speaking for a few minutes, Joyce said he considered Hanson a “fellow traveler” and was willing to abandon speculation after months of confusion. He will remain the member of New England’s northern NSW seat before aiming to return to the Senate in an election by 2028.
“Pauline asked me to come to One Nation and I accepted,” Joyce said on 88.9fm Tamworth Radio. “I’m really going to focus now on the Australian people. There’s going to be some pain from this decision, and I understand that.”
Hanson said Joyce’s decision to join the party he founded in the 1990s was “emotional” and that he had a lot to offer the populist right-wing party.
“With his knowledge and experience in many areas, especially the economy and the rural sector… I think he has a lot to offer,” he said, describing Joyce as a “front row striker” and not a back-up player.
“One Nation’s support is growing across the country. Voters are looking for leadership on the issues that matter to them, such as getting rid of net zero and Labour’s record immigration. Voters know exactly where I stand on these issues, and I think Mr Joyce has made it very clear in recent weeks where he stands too.”
Joyce began his federal parliamentary career in the Queensland Senate and had been toying with the possibility of defecting to One Nation for weeks since this imprint reported he was in talks with Hanson in early October. Hanson has denied a succession lock was planned at some points, but Joyce intends to lead the party, which would put further pressure on the Coalition if Hanson tries again at some point.
On the last parliamentary day of the year, Joyce announced that he was quitting the Nationals, which he had led twice, and would sit on the bench for the remainder of the term.
He spoke of One Nation’s hopes and said he wanted to be a senator, as Hanson had offered him a NSW senate position, but refrained from announcing his move to One Nation, saying he was still considering his options.
Hanson, whose party surged to a record 14 per cent primary vote share according to this month’s publication Resolve Strategic Monitor, was spotted at Tamworth airport on Sunday night on a connecting flight from Brisbane.
National leader David Littleproud issued a scathing statement on Monday, challenging Joyce’s claims that he had been mistreated by the party.
“The Nationals supported Barnaby through many difficult times, including his darkest moments,” Littleproud said, referring to Joyce’s scandals, including a “sex ban” imposed after he left his wife for a staff member, and the time he was filmed swearing into his mobile phone while lying on his back on a Canberra street.
“Barnaby has chosen to turn his back on the National Party and its voters and instead join a protest party that has achieved nothing but headlines.
“I’ve never had a personal issue or issue with Barnaby Joyce. This is about Barnaby wanting to be the leader of a party.”
Former National Team leader Michael McCormack also harshly criticized Joyce’s move.
“Our party gave him the great honor and privilege to not only lead the National Election, but also to serve as the country’s deputy prime minister. I think it’s incredibly disappointing to walk away from the party that gave you that honour,” McCormack told the ABC on Monday morning.
In his resignation speech to the House of Representatives last month, Joyce said he wanted to continue the fight against climate change orthodoxy “in a better position than a backbencher in the opposition Coalition” and admitted at a later press conference that he was seeking more attention.
Asked about One Nation’s rise in the polls at the press conference he held shortly after his resignation, Joyce said that there were new winds behind the populist movements led by Donald Trump, Nigel Farage in England and Marine Le Pen in France, and stated that the fragmentation of the media created opportunities for new movements.
Her resignation came just days after Hanson received bipartisan condemnation in the Senate for wearing a burqa, prompting renewed allegations of racism against the Queensland senator. Joyce and Hanson shared a steak dinner he cooked on a sandwich press in his office.
Joyce’s resignation also sparked outrage from long-serving Nationals colleagues such as Bridget McKenzie, Matt Canavan and McCormack.
Despite ongoing rumors and speculation plaguing the coalition and fueling allegations of selfishness, Joyce claimed he did not want to create a “circus”.
This imprint reported last month that Hanson may have misused expenses to attend a hearing in Sydney where he was found guilty of racially abusing Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi. Hanson disputed the finding.
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Paul Sakkal is the chief political correspondent. It has previously covered Victorian politics and won the Walkley and Quill awards. Reach him securely on Signal @paulsakkal.14Connect with: excitement or email.
