Christian Porter has resigned from the ministry after accepting funds from a blind trust

Barnaby Joyce has thrown his support behind Christian Porter after the former attorney general resigned from the front bench yesterday, claiming the embattled MP will eventually return.

Barnaby Joyce has thrown his support behind Christian Porter after the former attorney general resigned from the front bench yesterday, claiming the embattled MP will eventually return.

The deputy PM told Sunrise Mr Porter had “done the right thing” by resigning following an investigation into a blind trust which paid his legal bills against the ABC.

But Mr Joyce hinted Mr Porter wouldn’t be gone for long, and declared he would survive the next election.

“He has accepted that it creates a sense of fog for the government and has done the right thing and has resigned,” Mr Joyce said.

Barnaby Joyce says Mr Porter had “done the right thing”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“I bet you that his electorate won’t resign from him though, he is an incredibly astute politician, incredibly capable, he will be back in his electorate and working the part and parcel of what is so essential, the life of a backbencher.”

Mr Joyce added: “I would put money on him being back again.”

The Nationals leader also claimed Mr Porter’s electorate would be “more forgiving” of the scrutiny because of his work in the community.

“Your seat has an entirely different view to the press Gallery.... they can be a lot more forgiving in understanding because they see it from a distance,” he said.

Denying wrongdoing and railing against the ABC and Twitter “mobs”, Mr Porter yesterday resigned his ministerial position, conceding his acceptance of secret donations was a distraction for the federal government.

Mr Porter had held on as a member of cabinet for more than six months after outing himself as the subject of historic rape allegations, which he has strenuously denied.

But yesterday Prime Minister Scott Morrison accepted Mr Porter’s resignation as Industry, Science and Technology Minister, following intense scrutiny over his decision to allow the anonymous Legal Services Trust to cover “part” of the bills for his now settled defamation case against the ABC.

Industry, Science and Technology Minister Christian Porter accepted money from mystery donors to cover part of his legal fees. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

Mr Morrison last week sought official advice on whether the use of the trust breached ministerial standards but is yet to receive a response.

Mr Morrison said he would receive and “act” on any future advice to update the ministerial standards and ensure “greater clarity” about donations.

In an extensive statement, Mr Porter maintained he had appropriately accepted and disclosed the mystery funds, confirming he had received assurances from the trustee that “none of the contributors were lobbyists or prohibited foreign entities”.

However he conceded “uncertainty on this point” was a “very unhelpful distraction for the government in its work”.

Mr Porter said he did not have the right to find out and disclose the sources of the trust and argued he would not subject the donors to the “inevitable” public “trial by mob” if they were outed as his supporters.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses the media on Sunday. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

Despite moving to the backbench, Mr Porter confirmed he was seeking re-election in his WA seat of Pearce.

He was also scathing of the media’s handling of the historic rape allegations made against him.

Angus Taylor will be acting Industry, Science and Technology Minister. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“Having set in motion its trial by accusation, the ABC unleashed the Twitter version of an angry mob,” he said.

Mr Porter sued the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan after outing himself as the subject of an article ­alleging an unidentified cabinet minister had been accused of rape in January 1988.

In May, Mr Porter agreed to discontinue the case, after the ABC agreed to add an editor’s note to the article stating that it did not intend to suggest Mr Porter had committed the alleged offence, and that any such interpretation was ­“regretted”.

The ABC also agreed to pay Mr Porter’s mediation costs, but not damages.

His legal bills are thought to be between $600,000 and $1 million.

Mr Morrison announced Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor would assume Mr Porter’s Industry, Science and Technology portfolio on an acting basis, with any formal decision to be made after his trip to the US this week.