Premier Gladys ­Berejiklian stares down revolt, John Barilaro told to hit the road

John Barilaro committed ‘the greatest act of political bastardry in quite some time’, says NSW Police Minister.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian leaves her Sydney office on Friday night as calls grow for John Barilaro to resign as Nationals leader. Picture: AAP Image

John Barilaro committed “the greatest act of political bastardry in quite some time”, NSW Police Minister David ­Elliott said hours after the Deputy Premier backed down on his threat to tear up the Coalition and move to the crossbench.

Mr Elliott said the Nationals leader should resign his position — a demand backed by senior Liberal Party figures who said cabinet was “toxic” and could barely remain functional given the events of recent days.

Mr Barilaro on Thursday threatened to boycott joint partyroom meetings unless Gladys ­Berejiklian ­expedited revisions to environmental protection policies. But the NSW Premier countered with her own threat to sack every ­Nationals minister from cabinet unless they withdrew their demand.

A deadline of 9am on Friday was delivered to the Nationals MPs, who held a meeting at 8am and vowed to stay firm on their threat.

By 9.30am Mr Barilaro had abandoned his rhetoric and backed down from any move to deny the government support.

Despite the retreat, several Liberal MPs called on the Deputy Premier to resign.

“I think the disloyalty we’ve seen out of the Deputy Premier makes his position untenable,” Mr Elliott said.

Two other ministers — speaking on the condition of anonymity — questioned Mr Barilaro’s position and described him as a “madman”.

“The dynamic in the cabinet is almost so toxic that it prevents it from being functional,” one Liberal minister said. “How do you stay on as a leader having risked it all, including all your ministers’ livelihoods, when you capitulate so easily?”

Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who publicly and privately feuded with Mr Barilaro over their mutual desire to run for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro earlier this year, also admonished the Deputy Premier.

“We’ve got a Premier up there who is working her backside off, and working incredible hours to keep us all safe, save lives and livelihoods,” he said. “Glad doesn’t deserve this.”

Speaking after a meeting with Ms Berejiklian on Friday, in which he reversed his previously strong position on koala protection laws, Mr Barilaro said there had been concessions made to revisit the policy during an upcoming cabinet meeting.

This, however, was an assurance offered by Ms Berejiklian earlier in the week.

“I don’t see how he can possibly deliver outcomes for the ­Nationals Party when his standing within the government and the community has been absolutely shredded,” a minister said.

“The public has seen what we’ve had to watch for a long time, that the deputy leader of this government is an unhinged lunatic. Gladys is dealing every day with a madman.”

NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay also called on Mr Barilaro to resign, saying he had made ­numerous threats to either quit parliament, or his position as deputy premier, and should have been pulled into line earlier. “I ­believe this deputy premier … will continue to undermine the government at a time when we need stability and competent decision-making,” Ms McKay said.

Labor will move a no-confidence motion against the government when parliament resumes for sitting next week, though Ms McKay conceded the vote would be unlikely to pass without the support of the Nationals.

“I do not believe this government is functional, I do not believe this government is stable,” she said.