Treasury portfolio won’t go again to a Nationals MP, John Howard says

John Howard sparks heated response from Barnaby Joyce after declaring portfolio off limits to junior Coalition party.

Former Prime Minister John Howard. Picture: Britta Campion

John Howard has sparked a new round of portfolio demands from Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, after the former prime minister declared he did not think the Treasury portfolio would ever again go to a member of the junior Coalition party.

Speaking at an event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his 1996 election win, Mr Howard said it was likely Arthur Fadden, who served in the Menzies government, would be the last Nationals treasurer.

“I don’t think it is ever likely in the future; it will depend on individuals, but I think it is unlikely that the Treasury would (not) be held by a Liberal,” Mr Howard told the online conference organised by UNSW Canberra. “It was held once by Arthur Fadden, but those were different times.”

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Joyce hit back at Mr Howard, arguing the Treasury portfolio should be given a weighting of two cabinet positions if it is to automatically go to the Liberals. This would open up another cabinet post for the Nationals.

Mr Joyce has been pushing for the Nationals to be given more significant portfolios, including Treasury, finance, defence and trade.

“Portfolios shouldn’t just be allocated by number, they should also take into account their weight,” the former Nationals leader said.

“If people believe Treasury should never ever go to anybody but the Liberal Party, then it is worth an allocation of more than just one cabinet position.

“If the Liberal Party want the weightier portfolios, the Nationals are entitled to more portfolios. You can’t have it both ways.

“If you want to talk about the strength of the Coalition, then you have to act like a coalition.

“Are they saying they’ve got someone in there smarter than (Nationals senator) Matt Canavan? Well who is it?”

Mr Howard spoke during a question-and-answer session at the conference with former deputy prime minister John Anderson. Both Mr Anderson and Mr Howard said the agriculture portfolio should always be held by the Nationals.

“So much of the party’s ethos and beliefs and heritage … is rooted in it being once a farmers party,” Mr Anderson said.

“When the party was set up, probably about 25 per cent of Australian workers either owned a farm or worked on one. Now there is probably no more than 2 or 3 per cent, so there has been a massive shift.”

Mr Anderson warned there may be trouble brewing for the Nationals as the “demographics are moving against us”.

“It’s not that our rural areas are thinning out so much,” Mr Anderson said. “It is that proportionate (to) the cities, the urban areas of Australia, just continue to expand.”