Shameful Barnaby Joyce put ego above honouring dead fireys
It takes a giant-sized ego to launch a leadership challenge on the sole day set aside by our federal parliament to honour the victims of the bushfires. But such is Barnaby Joyce’s grandiose self-belief he did just that, writes Sharri Markson.
Opinion
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It takes a giant-sized ego to launch a leadership challenge on the sole day set aside by our federal parliament to honour the victims of the bushfires.
And so it was that lowly backbencher, Barnaby Joyce’s bid to return to the more highly-paid position of Deputy Prime Minister inevitably drew focus away from the commemorations for those who bravely gave up their lives to protect Australia this summer.
Despite the crass political manoeuvrings by those who have no shame, we will not forget these brave souls.
David Moresi, Geoffrey Keaton, Andrew O’Dwyer, Samuel McPaul, Bill Slade, Mat Kavanagh, Ian McBeth, Paul Hudson and Rick DeMorgan Jr were all firefighters who perished during the fires.
Unlike our politicians, these men were not paid big sums of money, or, in some cases, any money at all, to do their jobs.
They chose to go out and face the flames out of the goodness of their hearts, to protect their community, for the love of our country.
And they made the biggest sacrifice there is, leaving behind pregnant wives, toddlers taking their first steps, parents and friends.
As Scott Morrison told the story of each of these firefighters and their battle against the ferocious fire that ended their lives, it was clear; these are the men who epitomise true leadership and know the meaning of genuine teamwork in Australia.
Stealing the limelight from this day of commemoration was another type of former leader, one who does not, and will never know the meaning of teamwork. Barnaby Joyce.
Joyce put his personal ambition above his team, party and his government to try to seize the Nationals leadership.
He clearly saw no problem with destabilising the government, already on shaky ground after a disastrous summer, in the first week back of the Parliamentary year.
Joyce’s reasons for this urgent leadership coup?
His concern that the Nationals are losing ground to One Nation and the Shooters and Fishers.
“I want to work with my colleagues to make sure that we give ourselves the very best chance to thrive and survive as a political party,” he told The Australian.
“We are being attacked on all sides. Whether it’s Shooters and Fishers, whether it is One Nation, whether it is independent.”
This bares no truth in reality, let alone providing an immediate reason to move on McCormack.
It is just nine months since the Nationals saw every one of its MPs returned, many with increased margins, at the last federal election.
One Nation fared disastrously while the Shooters and Fishers have no federal presence, so its mention is irrelevant to Joyce’s leadership quest. Joyce’s supporters also argued McCormack has not been bolshie enough in standing up to Scott Morrison, complaining that the drought response had been hijacked by the Liberals.
Hijacked?
The Prime Minister decided to prioritise our farmers’ struggle to survive as the drought lingered, taking direct control of it himself after the election.
How disgraceful for the Nationals to politicise this issue by saying they should have maintained oversight of it.
Joyce’s arguments, however, were enough to persuade many National MPs, who also hold the view that McCormack has been a weak, ineffective leader, too obedient to Morrison and too boring to cut through to regional voters.
Is McCormack inspiring? A Nationals leadership figure of the ages he is not.
However, this argument that he should not be in the top job because he’s dull and unrecognisable — often mistaken for Labor MP Brendan O’Connor, even by the media — holds no weight.
There are enough exciting, charismatic characters causing mayhem in our parliament, like Pauline Hanson and Jackie Lambie, and we hardly need another, particularly one holding the second most senior office in the country.
Joyce may have come close to seizing the leadership in Tuesday morning’s party room meeting.
The speculated result of the secret ballot, McCormack’s 11 votes to Joyce’s 10 has not been confirmed; McCormack disputes this and thinks he had as many as 16 votes. Not even he knows.
But, even if the vote were 20 to 1, with Joyce securing the support of just one National, it’s unlikely he’d be deterred, such is his grandiose self-belief.
Joyce’s supporters now speak about regrouping and plotting a second tilt at the top job.
They’re also threatening to pursue McCormack over his links to the sports rorts saga, now that they have finished leaking on Bridget McKenzie; the poor woman collateral damage in this dirty, largely male game of politics.
ABC journalist Patricia Karvelas summed it up when she wrote of McCormack in the wake of the spill: “It’s not a good sign when your own political side is pursuing you over a saga the PM thought he was killing off.”
Joyce should give up his bid to hold power for power sake and realise the disunity and destabilisation he is causing a second, hardworking prime minister.
After stealing the thunder of families honouring their loved ones and damaging the Government as it starts the parliamentary year, Joyce should feel crushed and not buoyed by his failed leadership bid.
But seeing as this is a man who thrives on chaos and disruption and media attention, we should not hold our breath for rational, sensible conduct becoming of a true leader.