Deputy Premier John Barilaro reveals colleagues used his cancer scare to ‘strike’ at his leadership

Deputy Premier John Barilaro has revealed how he caught out colleagues trying to use his shock cancer scare to “strike” at the Nationals leadership. In an exclusive interview, he revealed that some colleagues immediately contemplated a leadership replacement.

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Deputy Premier John Barilaro has revealed how colleagues tried to strike against him with leadership talks as he faces a cancer scare.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal Mr Barilaro was due to face surgery today after a biopsy detected abnormalities in a lump in his throat, but the operation was cancelled late last night because crucial nerves in the area made it too high risk.

Mr Barilaro has revealed his commitment to his work has come at the cost of his health. Picture: Kym Smith

The Deputy Premier has been privately undergoing tests for four months, and revealed that when he broke the news to his Nationals colleagues some immediately began contemplating a leadership replacement.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph today, Nationals leader Mr Barilaro says that while you do build real friendships in politics “it can be a lonely place”.

“You also have those that look for weakness and strike. When word got out last week I was dealing with this issue, some of my own colleagues, had quickly diagnosed me with cancer (none of them health professionals), and thought it was the right time to speak about a new leader.

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“Word quickly got back to me and maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised, but you realise political friendships can be fickle. Early on so many told me ‘that’s politics’.

“Well, it shouldn’t be.”

It’s understood one of the rumours within the Nationals was that the Queanbeyan MP had non-hodgkin lymphoma. This lie even made its way to former Nationals federal leader Barnaby Joyce.

Barnaby Joyce today lashed out at the culture within state politics. Picture: Kym Smith

Mr Joyce today lashed out at the culture within state politics following rumours that Mr Barilaro was suffering a non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Speaking to Chris Smith, who is filling in for Alan Jones on 2GB this morning, Joyce said an “innocuous, not even high profile person” from within the party told him about Barilaro’s health news at a café, describing the fake news as “rubbish”.

“I’ll tell you how this game work ... you’ve got snipers, you got targets and you got bullets,” Joyce continued.

“Snipers don’t really care ... they try to stay hidden or they try to stay protected. A target are any political figure who they want to get rid of and bullets, well they can be anything. A lie, another person, any sort of fabrication.”

“This time, the bullet was a story that [John Barilaro] apparently had non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he doesn’t.”

Mr Barilaro bravely writes today of the “emotional roller coaster” his cancer scare was causing him, and says it has given him a new understanding of what it is like for voters to navigate the health system.

Deputy Premier of NSW John Barilaro has revealed he is facing a health scare. Picture: Kym Smith

Mr Barilaro’s remarks about his colleagues come as both sides of politics have promised to clean up and reset the parliament after Labor leader Luke Foley resigned over allegations he put his hand down a reporter’s underpants. Mr Foley denies the claims.

Parliament resumes today for the first time since the crisis.

Mr Barilaro’s specialists will now try non-invasive procedures on the lump before making a final decision on surgery at a later date.

Mr Barilaro said politics had worked him to the ground, and he was now forced to take the next parliamentary sitting block off because of his surgery.

He said he loved his job dearly, but at times ran himself into the ground.

“I can’t say no. I don’t want to let them down. I chose to do this and made a commitment. Looking back over the past, especially two years, my diary clearly shows the mileage I’ve done.

“I have loved every minute and the privilege and commitment to serve has never been lost on me.

“Unfortunately like so many others it can often come at the expense of my family, but right now it has come at the expense of my health.”

He said that even he found navigating the health system “daunting and tiring”, “especially at a time when you are emotional and scared”.

“Being told to go and see a haematologist at a Cancer Centre scares the socks off you.”