MP tells parliament she was ‘warned’ Barnaby Joyce had woman ‘groping history’, WA Premier calls him an ‘embarrassment’

A Premier has described Barnaby Joyce as an ‘embarrassment to the country’ after an MP told parliament she was warned he had a history of groping women.

Barnaby Joyce was recently resinstated as the Nationals leader. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

Premier Mark McGowan has described Barnaby Joyce as an “embarrassment to the country” after a Labor MP told the West Australian parliament she was warned in 2014 that the Nationals leader had a history of groping women.

Jackie Jarvis made her comments in the Upper House on Friday in support of her friend Catherine Marriott, who previously accused the re-elected Nationals leader of sexual harassment — which he has strenuously denied.

Ms Jarvis described Ms Marriott as “smart, articulate, passionate, professional, bold and loyal”.

She said 2018 was not the first time she had “heard that man’s name linked to claims of sexual harassment”.

“In 2014, I was the WA winner of the Rural Women’s Award, and myself along with other state winners and runners-up all gathered in Canberra ahead of the national award event,” Ms Jarvis said.

“A number of us were told by a person involved in organising the event to be careful of Barnaby Joyce because he had a history of groping women.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has been described as an “embarrassment to the country”. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

“I just want to make myself absolutely clear — I was the WA representative in Australia’s leading award for rural women and I was warned that the then-federal agricultural minister was known to sexually harass women at events.”

Mr McGowan said Ms Jarvis was highly respected and he had “no reason to disbelieve her”.

“I’ve never thought that Barnaby Joyce was appropriate to be Deputy Prime Minister of Australia — never, ever, ever thought that — he is an embarrassment to the country,” Mr McGowan told reporters on Friday.

Mr Joyce said the allegations by Ms Jarvis were “defamatory and spurious”.

“What a Labor Party person says about me at 2am under parliamentary privilege a number of days after I have been sworn in is politically understandable but defamatory and spurious.

I invite her to make the same allegation without the cover of parliamentary privilege,” he said