WA Nationals say they will no longer back Barnaby Joyce as leader

EMBATTLED Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has just suffered the first major loss of support from within his own party. The WA Nationals have publicly urged him to resign.

THE Nationals’ West Australian branch has abandoned its support for party leader Barnaby Joyce, and openly called for his resignation.

Branch leader Mia Davies has issued a statement saying she had contacted Mr Joyce to tell him that the “ongoing damage” he was causing the party had to end.

“Mr Joyce’s actions have caused pain for his family but it is the ongoing damage Mr Joyce is causing the Nationals organisation that is of greatest concern to me as WA leader,” the statement reads.

Mia Davies has abandoned her support for Barnaby Joyce. Picture: Matthew Poon

“The Nationals brand across regional Western Australia has suffered as a result of Mr Joyce’s actions and he has become a distraction at both Federal and State level.”

Ms Davies says she and her parliamentary colleagues had urged Mr Joyce to reconsider his position.

“It is the view of the Parliamentary National Party of Western Australia that Mr Joyce’s position as Federal Leader is no longer tenable.

“I recognise Mr Joyce for his service to the party over many years and acknowledge his work dedicated to the people of regional Australia.”

Barnaby Joyce has lost the support of WA Nationals. Picture Kym Smith

Joyce was quick to return fire.

“Thank you Mia for your correspondence,” he wrote.

“I acknowledge your concerns however it should also be said that you don’t have a Federal member of Parliament in the National Party of Australia, your last member spending their time almost exclusively as an independent and only twice coming to the National Party meeting rooms.

“I also note you are not in a Coalition in Western Australia and WA Nats pride themselves on their ferocious independence.

“Therefore I find it surprising that a federal issue has so much momentum in the West when people in the east in the National Party, have in the majority a different view — and to be quite frank, vastly more skin in the game.

“I am happy to discuss in person if you wish. I note you have my new number.”

JOYCE ‘NOT ONLY ONE SLEEPING WITH STAFF’

Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi said he doesn’t think Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s ministerial sex ban is necessary, but says Barnaby Joyce is not the only government minister who is sleeping with a member of staff.

In an interview on ABC radio this morning, Mr Bernardi said while Mr Turnbull has done “what he thinks is right”, he doesn’t think such a step is necessary.

“But then, self-evidently, the standards by which I’m holding myself, or which I expect of others, have not been met by those within some of the ministerial ranks,” he said. “I make this point that it’s not just Barnaby Joyce that we could be discussing.”

When asked if other ministers were having sexual relations with their staff, the South Australian Senator said, “Yes”. He refused to name any names, however.

“This is doing enormous damage to the government, it’s sucking out all the oxygen out of any agenda that they want to put forward,” he said of the scandal surrounding Joyce’s affair.

“Australia simply can’t afford to get sidetracked by these issues, there are so many more important things that we have to deal with than Barnaby Joyce’s personal life or what’s going on in he ministerial wing.”

Australian Conservatives leader Senator Cory Bernardi has claimed that Barnaby Joyce is not the only minister sleeping with his staff. Picture: AAP Image/Regi Varghese

When asked if Joyce is still fit to be a leader, Bernardi said the feedback has been split. “There’s a lot of people who really like Barnaby Joyce and think that simply because his marriage has broken down and he’s had an affair, it has no bearing on public life.”

“But there is a blurred line because of the relationship with a staff member, and that is the question mark that is hanging over many of these people’s minds,” he said.

While Senator Bernardi said he is sympathetic to Joyce’s position, but said “it’s self-evident in my view that if you’re a minister you should not being having a sexual relationship with a member of your staff, or anyone else’s staff for that matter”.

Mr Bernardi’s comments come as Nationals MPs have postponed a party room meeting that was scheduled for next Monday.

Nationals whip Michelle Landry said today that Senate estimates will postpone the meeting of all 21 members and senators.

Nationals president Larry Anthony held an emergency meeting of senior party ­officials yesterday to discuss Joyce’s affair.

Barnaby Joyce had an affair with his former staff Vikki Campion. Source: Facebook

The Australian reports that of the 21-strong Nationals party room in Canberra, five MPs have decided Mr Joyce should go, about six MPs are firmly behind their leader and the other 10 are waiting to see whether any more damaging revelations emerge.

It comes after a Newspoll yesterday revealed that a majority of Australians believe Joyce should resign.

Mr Joyce said he’s not going anywhere, blasting suggestions he should be ousted as Nationals leader as a “witch-hunt”.

Last week, Mr Joyce and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull exchanged words over his extramarital affair with former staffer Vikki Campion, who’s now pregnant with his child. She is due in April.

The Barnaby Joyce saga appears to have soured confidence among Australians given the rift his affair has caused within the Turnbull coalition government. The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index dropped 3.5 per cent, building on the 2.6 per cent decline of the previous week that followed extreme volatility in financial markets.

“Events in Canberra may have added to the downward pressure, especially given the level of media attention,” ANZ head of Australian economics David Plank said.

Originally published as WA Nationals say they will no longer back Barnaby Joyce as leader