Nationals set on keeping Barnaby Joyce in the fray
National Party leader David Littleproud is confident other MPs will not follow Barnaby Joyce’s lead and leave the party amid internal tensions within the coalition.
The former deputy prime minister has announced he will leave the party and not re-contest the New England seat in NSW at the next election, citing his irreparably damaged relationship with the National Party.
The move sparked speculation that the maverick MP would defect to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
The Nationals leader called on Mr Joyce to remain loyal to the party but played down suggestions that other members of his team might be inspired by the potential departure.
“People who joined the National Party joined because of our values, because of our beliefs, and we proved that at the last election by retaining all our seats and almost winning a new seat,” he told Nine’s Today programme.
“We’ve led a lot of debate, but we do that, and although sometimes not as quickly as some would like, we do that when we leverage the collective and have sensible policies drawn from the collective of our party room.”
There have been tensions over the future direction of the coalition, which suffered its worst election loss in its 81-year history.
Debates on climate policy have also flared up within the coalition; MPs such as Mr Joyce have called for abandoning the net zero emissions target.
Mr Littleproud said he would reach out to Mr Joyce to tell him the former party leader could still play a constructive role in the future direction of the party.
“We’re going to talk to Barnaby. We want to make sure his input is valued within our caucus, just like everyone else’s,” he said.
“It is the collective of the National Party that sets the policy settings, and sometimes our policies take a little longer.”
Mr Joyce said his relationship with the National Party soured when he was demoted to the bench after the last election.
“I am now free to consider all options for what to do next,” he said in a letter to chapter members.
“The atmosphere in the party hall where I sit at the farthest corner of the coalition means that I have been seen and now I have become a discordant note.
“This is not who I want to be.”
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