Darren Chester says Barnaby Joyce ‘incoherent’, confirms pair’s relationship is dead

A sacked Nationals MP has told Australians to get used to ‘incoherent’ ramblings from Barnaby Joyce in an extraordinary take-down of his new leader.

Nationals MP Darren Chester has lashed out at his new leader, Barnaby Joyce, warning Australians to get used to “incoherent” ramblings from their new Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Chester, who was dumped his role as veterans affairs’ minister in Sunday’s bruising cabinet reshuffle, said his relationship with Mr Joyce was dead but confirmed he would stand for the Nationals at the next election.

Mr Joyce returned to the leadership last week, ousting Michael McCormack in a party-room ballot, and rewarded his backers with promotions on Sunday.

One major causality was Mr Chester, who on Monday issued an apology to regional Australians “for the conduct they saw from the National Party last week”.

Mr Chester backed Mr McCormack a week ago, and accused Mr Joyce of being “incoherent” during a phone conversation confirming his axing.

Darren Chester has lashed out a Barnaby Joyce, who axed him from cabinet, saying the pair’s relationship is dead. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

“I wouldn’t normally comment on private conversations, but I’m going to say the conversation I had with Barnaby was so incoherent yesterday, I couldn’t actually explain what he was even saying to me,” he said on Monday.

“So people of Australia, brace yourself, there will be more conversations like that. Now we didn’t have harsh words at all; it was just a matter-of-fact conversation.

“He was sacking me. I didn’t agree with him, and I got on with the walk I was having with my dog.”

Mr Chester confirmed he would run at the next election as the Nationals candidate, saying he saw a “wonderful political future” for himself in Gippsland.

But he confirmed his personal relationship with Mr Joyce was dead, saying their interactions would be “completely and utterly businesses like” from now on.

“I have no personal relationship with Barnaby, I don’t seek a personal relationship with Barnaby. It’ll be completely pragmatic,” he said.

Mr Joyce flatly denied the reshuffle was solely designed to reward his backers, but conceded there were “incredible, capable” people stuck on the backbench.

“We know the game of politics. Any person who signs up for politics understands how it works,” he told Today.

He accepted there were “always discussions” behind the scenes about a leadership challenge, but insisted he was not certain he would return when the party room met last Monday.

Mr Chester has told Australians to get used to ‘incoherent’ interventions from their new Deputy PM. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

“You don’t know until you’re in the room and see things happening in front of you, and find out what people will do behind you, whether they call a spill or not,” he told Sunrise.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese said no one could question Mr Chester’s “commitment to looking after the welfare of our veterans”, despite policy differences between the pair.

Mr Chester was replaced by Andrew Gee, who reportedly switched his allegiance to vote for Mr Joyce in Monday’s spill.

“The fact that he’s been dumped as a result of a deal for a bloke who apparently was a junior Minister, but no one would have noticed that before his promotion into the Cabinet today … says everything about this government’s attitude towards integrity,” Mr Albanese said.

Bridget McKenzie has also returned to cabinet less than 18 months after resigning over the ‘sports rorts’ scandal.

Ms McKenzie, another Joyce backer, assumed the new role of regionalisation minister and picked up the drought and emergency management portfolio.

“Someone who does have integrity like Darren Chester will be sitting on the backbench next to Michael McCormack, and Bridget McKenzie … has been returned to Cabinet with this rather bizarre portfolio,” Mr Albanese said.

Resources Minister Keith Pitt, who kept his role but was removed from cabinet, conceded he was “disappointed” by his effective demotion.

“In the game of Snakes and Ladders, I’ve landed on a snake. It’s short snake compared to some others. But I’m very pleased to still have the portfolios for resources of water,” he told Sky News on Monday.