Nationals WA leader Mia Davies lashes out at change
Mia Davies says she’s ‘disappointed’ at Barnaby Joyce’s re-election, won’t go out of her way to congratulate him.
The leader of The Nationals in Western Australia says she is disappointed to see Barnaby Joyce return as leader of the federal arm of the party and to the role of deputy prime minister.
Mia Davies, who is WA’s Opposition Leader, first called for Mr Joyce to step down as party leader in early 2018. At the time, she argued that his controversies had become too large a distraction for the party.
On Monday, Ms Davies said she would not be going out of her way to send Mr Joyce her congratulations.
“It’s disappointing that there’s been a leadership change,” she said. “I’ve had a good relationship with Michael McCormack, I think he’s done a good job in the last 3½ years. I think leadership changes are destabilising; it means the party is looking internally instead of being focused on the job they’re meant to be doing which is representing their constituents.”
Ms Davies was the first senior National to speak out publicly against Mr Joyce following revelations of his affair with a former staffer and a separate sexual misconduct allegation from former WA Rural Woman of the Year Catherine Marriott.
An investigation into that allegation by the NSW National Party found there was insufficient evidence to support Ms Marriott’s complaint.
Ms Davies said Mr Joyce needed to rebuild trust with both the public and the party.
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