Barnaby Joyce elected Nationals leader after spill motion against Michael McCormack
Newly elected Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has acknowledged his past “faults” since he last held the party’s top job.
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Newly elected Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has acknowledged his past “faults” since he last held the party’s top job and vowed to ensure the junior Coalition partner is given “respect” by the Liberals.
Mr Joyce said he was “humbled” to have been returned to the top job, confirming he had already spoken with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
He said he would have “further discussions” as he renegotiated the Coalition deal between the Nationals and the Liberal Party.
“That is part and parcel of when you have a new leader, you have a new agreement,” he said.
“I’ll be making sure that I talk to my colleagues in The Nationals about the issues that they see as pertinent, and I will be making sure that that respect is given to the party room.”
Mr Joyce would not explain exactly where former leader Michael McCormack went wrong to warrant Monday morning’s leadership spill but insisted that “going forward” he would be listening to his colleagues, including on issues like climate change.
“I will be guided by my party room,” he said.
“It is not Barnaby policy — it’s Nationals policy.”
Mr Joyce said he would be an advocate for what the National party believes on whether Australia should commit to net zero emissions by 2050 ahead of a major climate summit in Glasgow later this year.
“If the National Party room believes that the best deal for regional Australia is to make sure that we secure their jobs, is to make sure that we secure their industries … as opposed to a Danish one or a German one — if that’s the view of the National Party room, that’s the view that I’ll support,” he said.
Mr Joyce said he had spent three years on the backbench and hopes he has “come back a better person” since he resigned in 2018.
He stepped down after his affair with staffer Vkki Campion was exposed and it was revealed the party was investigating unrelated allegations of sexual harassment, which he has strongly denied.
“Well, I acknowledge my faults,” he said.
“And I resigned as I should and I did.
“I don’t walk away from the fact that you have to have time to consider, not only the effect on yourself, but more importantly, the effect on others. I’ve done that. I don’t want to dwell on the personal, except to say — hopefully one learns from their mistakes and makes a better person of themselves.”
Mr Joyce said he would like to “sincerely thank” Mr McCormack and believed the former leader had always acted with “dignity”.
Speaking after losing the leadership ballot Mr McCormack said he believed he had done a “good job,” but had been ousted because “others” wanted the top job.
“I do believe I’ve done the very best that I can do,” he said.
“And I don’t think that the party was actually dissatisfied with my performance.
“Some others wanted their job back and that drove them for three years.”
Mr McCormack said politically he had faced some “brutal arithmetic” after failing to secure a majority in the Nationals party room.
“I appreciate that this is democracy and it’s all about numbers,” he said.
JOYCE WINS SPILL TO RETURN AS DEPUTY LEADER
Barnaby Joyce has been re-elected deputy prime minister after he won a Nationals leadership spill to overthrow Michael McCormack.
Nationals whip Damian Drum has confirmed a motion to spill the leadership was carried at a party room meeting on Monday and that Mr Joyce successfully beat now former leader Mr McCormack.
Mr Drum said Mr Joyce would now go through the process of being sworn in and also meet with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
This would be done virtually as Mr Morrison is currently in quarantine after returning from an overseas trip last week.
In a statement released on Monday Mr Morrison said he looked “forward to working closely” with Mr Joyce “to ensure Australia continues its recovery from COVID-19 and the recession it caused”.
“Our focus remains on two outcomes – protecting lives and protecting livelihoods, as we continue to bolster our vaccine roll out and build on the economic recovery that has led to the creation of almost one million jobs since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
“Barnaby and I have a shared passion for ensuring our regions and rural communities thrive.”
Mr Morrison thanked former leader Michael McCormack for his “dedicated service” while he was Deputy Prime Minister.
“Michael will continue to be an invaluable member of the National Party, and a passionate advocate for regional and rural communities,” he said.
“I wish him and his wife Catherine and their children well.”
The deputy leadership position, currently held by David Littleproud, was not contested at the meeting.
Tensions had risen over the party’s lack of direction under Mr McCormack, his leadership style, and failure to challenge the Morrison government’s potential embrace of a 2050 net zero emissions target.
Mr McCormack said he was feeling “good” and “positive” as he walked past reporters into the meeting.
Mr Joyce entered the meeting solo and said he was also feeling “good”.
Deputy Nationals leader David Littleproud dismissed questions from reporters as he entered the meeting.
“Spill? Who knows, what are you guys bored?” he asked.
When asked if the party would be voting on the leadership, Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester said “I’m the last to know”.
Earlier on Monday, Mr McCormack said: “If I survive, then the people who actually run against me, I think they should think long and hard about their futures, and I think they should think long and hard about the role they need to play in government and they should stop being so destabilising.”
Mr McCormack accused his challengers of simply wanting the “role” of leader, rather than having a particular problem with his own leadership.
“I know I have been good for regional Australia, I know the Nationals have been good for regional Australia,” he said.
“We can go and we can shout from the rooftops, we can talk on the late night televisions shows, we can get that page six headline … that’s not what I’m about, I’m about regional people.”
Mr McCormack said regional people “aren’t talking about politicians”, they’re “worried about their own future”.
Earlier on Monday, Mr Joyce shut down speculation he was circling Mr McCormack’s position saying: “there is no prospect of a spill at this point in time.”
“I would just let that issue arise,” he told Channel 7.
Mr Joyce said he would not call a spill motion for the second time in 15 months despite his supporters backing him for a potential leadership challenge.
He went as far as to defend Mr McCormack’s performance, claiming he was “doing the best job he can” following a lacklustre week as acting prime minister in which he failed to stand up to the Liberals on net-zero emissions, prompting concerns among colleagues.
“He is a good bloke and has been working as hard as he can. The issue is in the next election and this is for the National Party and the Coalition in general,” he said.
“We’ve got to make sure that we are clearly identifiable in our policy structure in such a way that we can win it not just for the Nationals but for the coalition.”
Mr Joyce labelled articles speculating that he will put his hand up in a spill as “entertaining” and “so far ahead of the show,” saying it was ultimately a matter for the party.
“I’m not going to start delving into what is National Party business, they can have that, they can make those discussions and decisions themselves.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday said he was “absolutely” happy with Mr McCormack’s performance: “We’ve worked very closely together and provided a great stable edge for Australia,” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
“The Nationals will have discussions I’m sure, as they always do and we’ll get on with the job,” he said.
Discontent in the Nationals over Mr Mr McCormack’s leadership began to boil over last week after he struggled to perform in the top job while Scott Morrison was away for the G7.
As Mr Morrison was in Europe talking about Australia’s ambition to reach net-zero emissions “preferably” by 2050, Nationals-aligned Resources Minister Keith Pitt said it was “not the government’s policy” and that agreement had “neither been sought nor reached”.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said it remained Australia’s “broad” position to chase down net-zero emissions “preferably” by 2050, but did not confirm an agreement with the Nationals had been reached.
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Originally published as Barnaby Joyce elected Nationals leader after spill motion against Michael McCormack
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