Miranda Live: Nats need to dump Barnaby or move on, says Cory Bernardi
THE National party needs to dump embattled leader Barnaby Joyce or persevere, because voters are rapidly losing patience over the inaction, Australian Conservatives’ Cory Bernardi has warned.
THE National party needs to dump embattled leader Barnaby Joyce or persevere, because voters are rapidly losing patience over the inaction, Australian Conservatives’ Cory Bernardi has warned.
The Senator for South Australia addressed the growing Barnaby Joyce saga with Daily Telegraph political editor Sharri Markson on online radio show Miranda Live today, telling Markson every day of inaction was hurting the party.
“This is proving to be a huge distraction for the government and a huge liability for the Nationals,” he said.
“We should all agree that a line should be drawn under this — it’s got to be resolved one way or another.
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“And it can be resolved by a leadership coup or a resignation ... or some would say he (Mr Joyce) can persevere.”
Mr Joyce is now on leave, after the Daily Telegraph broke the story he had been having an extra-martial affair with his staffer Vikki Campion.
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Mr Bernardi, who split from the Coalition to form the Australian Conservatives in February last year, said every day the Nationals failed to address the situation was another day voters became increasingly fed up.
“It’s breeding or fostering even more doubt about our political class,” he told Markson.
“People are wildly disillusioned and do think they (politicians) are separate to the rest of the community.”
The Senator, who counts himself a longtime friend to the Joyce family, said the Nationals were divided — with many saying Mr Joyce’s scandal should be forgiven.
“Others are saying he needs to go because of the damage he’s doing, but this wavering is doing enormous damage,” he said.
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