Walked or pushed: Barnaby Joyce takes right turn after quitting Nationals
Former Liberal leader Peter Dutton has fired back at Barnaby Joyce’s defection claims, citing alarming footage of the former Nationals MP lying on a street as his motivation.
Peter Dutton has hit back at Barnaby Joyce’s claims he was ostracised by his party and asked to leave by the former Coalition leader, saying any indication he gave that Mr Joyce should quit parliament came from a place of “concern” after the former deputy prime minister was seen lying on the street.
The stark admission followed Mr Joyce ending a 20-year career with the Nationals on Thursday to sit on the crossbench while considering his options after the next election.
Friends and foes alike in the Nationals rounded on their most prominent MP over his defection, with Nationals leader David Littleproud saying he had walked from the party and long-time ally Matt Canavan said he had saddened thousands of party members with his departure.
Despite confirming that he was “strongly considering” joining One Nation, the MP for New England also said he could leave politics all together and enter the private sector.
Mr Joyce made a two-minute statement to the lower house following months of speculation over if and when he would resign from the Nationals, during which he said he had “been asked to leave twice by Peter Dutton” during the Brisbane MP’s time as Coalition leader. “This is the ejection seat. It’s about a far away you can get from the dispatch box. And if you’re sitting here, they want you out,” Mr Joyce told the house. “When (the Coalition leadership) talk about generational change, it’s pretty clear what people want. So after 30 years with the National Party, I’m resigning.”
In rare public comments on Thursday, Mr Dutton responded to Mr Joyce’s statement by invoking an incident that sparked alarm for the former National leader’s physical and mental health.
“My concern was with Barnaby’s welfare, first and foremost,” the former opposition leader told The Australian, ahead of the Liberal Party election review, which is due to be handed down in coming weeks.
“The incident in Canberra was really concerning and he had a lot going on in the background. So it was more about trying to help him than anything else.”
Vision posted online by onlookers and later published by media outlets captured Mr Joyce lying on Lonsdale Street in Canberra’s CBD at 11.30pm and yelling into a mobile phone. In the six months after, Mr Joyce said he had quit alcohol and was focusing on improving his health.
The former Nationals leader also revealed in May this year that he had battled with a cancer diagnosis ahead of the 2025 election, which resulted in having his prostate removed.
Despite telling The Australian in the months that followed that the health scare had put his relegation to the backbench in perspective, Mr Joyce on Thursday told parliament he had decided to leave the Nationals in order to have a greater impact than what he was currently able to. “What I have to do, if I’m going to continue (the) fight is get myself into a better position in the ejection chair in the back bench of the Coalition in opposition,” he said.
In making his resignation speech, Mr Joyce criticised Mr Littleproud and deputy leader Kevin Hogan for barely calling him in recent weeks as he considered his future. However, both MPs pointed out that Mr Joyce had asked for “time and space” to make his decision, which they respected.
“I have had a number of chats with Barnaby since he made announcement a number of weeks ago. Just pleasantries, you know, ‘how are boys, how are you’, but always polite,” Mr Hogan said.
Mr Littleproud said he was disappointed by Mr Joyce’s decision to leave the party, declaring the firebrand MP had “chosen to walk away from the Nationals’ team”.
Nationals MP Darren Chester made even more pointed comments, suggesting the party would be “stronger” without Mr Joyce, while Senator Canavan said it was “a shame a storied former leader has left in this fashion”.
However, some Nationals’ MPs including Bridget McKenzie and Llew O’Brien said they were “encouraged” that Mr Joyce had not immediately joined One Nation, pointing out “a lot could happen in 2½ years” before the next election was called.
“I’m bloody sorry to see him go. He’s one of the best retail politicians in the country,” Mr O’Brien said.
Senator McKenzie said Thursday’s outcome was “better than it could have been”.
“He’s not standing out there next to Pauline (Hanson) today,” she said. “Where there’s love, there’s hope.”
Senator Canavan also said he had “not given up hope” that the party could convince Mr Joyce to return to the fold in the future.
But former Nationals senator and close ally of Mr Joyce, John Williams, revealed his 20-year friendship with the New England MP was over.
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