Tom Minear: Barnaby Joyce’s return creates a new set of problems for PM
In the view of some, it’s only a matter of time before Barnaby Joyce goes rogue and ruins the internal unity Scott Morrison has long maintained.
Opinion
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IN the political marriage of the Liberal and National parties, MPs on both sides know better than to publicly speculate on the internal affairs of their partners.
It’s just as well, because the reactions of some Liberals to Barnaby Joyce’s return to the nation’s second-highest office cannot be printed in a family newspaper.
They liked and respected Michael McCormack, who brought stability, proficiency and decency to the role of deputy prime minister.
These are not words typically associated with Joyce. He has made — and lost, and now made again — a political career as a maverick. For Scott Morrison, that is not the kind of ally he needs right now.
On two of the thorniest issues facing his government — tackling climate change and improving its standing with women — Joyce creates a whole new set of problems for the PM.
The more optimistic Liberals reckon despite that, Joyce’s return is a net gain. He helps them in Queensland and regional New South Wales, in seats where the government wants to hold and gain ground, and where political renegades are usually popular.
That is a fair assessment. And in their initial dealings on Monday, Joyce presented to Morrison as a pragmatic operator with his eyes on the prize of another election victory.
But it’s hard to be an outsider and a team player. Unlike his predecessors, Morrison has maintained internal unity and a functional cabinet. That balance is threatened by Joyce’s return.
In the view of some Liberals, it’s only a matter of time before Joyce goes rogue. His backers rolled McCormack because they thought he didn’t stand up to Morrison — so that’s what they expect of their new leader.
If that means refusing to support a 2050 target for net zero emissions, or demanding the government fund a new coal-fired power station, then the Prime Minister’s careful crab walk on climate change would be knocked off course. Moderate Liberal MPs — some of whom have begun to feel a little taken for granted — would not accept that.
In a graceful final press conference, McCormack argued the best way for the Nationals leader to challenge his Liberal counterpart on policy was to do it behind closed doors, and then publicly present a united front. After three years with the freedom of a backbencher, it’s hard to imagine Joyce will be as capable of that.
At least Morrison does not have to worry about McCormack sniping on his way out the door. The Wagga Wagga MP has always been most focused on the needs of regional Australia.
Sadly for him, if he had spent less time worrying about the mice infesting farms than the rats in his own ranks, he mightn’t have lost his job.
Originally published as Tom Minear: Barnaby Joyce’s return creates a new set of problems for PM
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