Nats faithful say they’ll stand by restored Barnaby Joyce

Barnaby Joyce’s return has received overwhelming support among Nationals’ voters who like his ‘understanding’ of rural issues.

Barnaby Joyce during Question Time at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Barnaby Joyce’s election as Nationals leader and his return as Deputy Prime Minister has received overwhelming support among Nationals’ voters who like his experience and “understanding” of rural issues and working people.

Even Liberal voters are evenly split on his return and One Nation supporters narrowly prefer him over Michael McCormack because of his understanding of rural Australia and strong positions against political correctness and Chinese aggression.

According to a True-North Strategy poll of 1021 people conducted the day after Mr Joyce defeated Mr McCormack in a Nationals party-room ballot for leader, two thirds of Nationals supporters, 67 per cent, prefer the former leader to Mr McCormack, on 33 per cent.

Liberal voters are evenly split 51 per cent for Mr McCormack to Mr Joyce’s 49 per cent and One Nation voters narrowly back Mr Joyce, 52 per cent to Mr McCormack’s 48 per cent.

There have been claims Mr Joyce’s defence of coal-fired power stations, coal exports and stand against signing an international agreement to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 will turn voters away from Liberal MPs in metropolitan areas.

Mr Joyce is overwhelming rejected by Labor and Greens voters who prefer Mr McCormack 68 per cent and 72 per cent respectively to Mr Joyce on 32 and 28 per cent.

But, the key measure on voting intention also favours Mr Joyce with 23 per cent of Nationals voters saying they are “more likely” to vote for the Coalition with him as Deputy Prime Minister and 70 per cent saying they are “just as likely” to vote for the Coalition.

Only 7 per cent of Nationals said they were less likely to vote for the Coalition with Mr Joyce as Nationals leader.

Even 14 per cent of Liberal supporters say they are more likely to vote for the Coalition and 66 per cent say they are just as likely to vote for the Coalition. Twenty per cent of Liberal voters said they were less likely to vote for the Coalition.

One Nation supporters, who hold the key through preferential votes in some regional seats, were 63 per cent “just as likely to vote for the Coalition” and 8 per cent more likely.