Second National MP threatens to quit over net zero as Barnaby Joyce mulls One Nation offer
Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien weighs exiting the Coalition as former Nationals senator Ron Boswell says he is disappointed his former protege, Barnaby Joyce, is considering joining One Nation.
A second Nationals MP is threatening to quit the party if David Littleproud refuses to dump a net zero by 2050 target, as Barnaby Joyce’s political mentor warns the former deputy prime minister could end up like Mark Latham if he joins One Nation.
Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien said he felt so strongly about net zero that he would consider leaving the Coalition if its energy policy was at odds with his conviction, putting further pressure on the Nationals to oppose a pathway to carbon neutrality.
While Mr Joyce is considering joining One Nation after announcing on the weekend he would quit the Nationals partyroom, Mr O’Brien said it was too early to tell what his future would be if he decided to move on from the Coalition.
“I would have to know what our position is to make a call on anything, but net-zero by 2050 is unachievable and it goes against the principles that I joined the party for: smaller government, freedom of the individual. It is a big impost on all of those things,” Mr O’Brien told The Australian.
“If we don’t come up with a position that is not chasing net zero by 2050 I have got to wonder whether the party I joined is the same party.
“As far as I was concerned the party changed when it adopted net zero. But to maintain it now, whether that becomes tenable for me to stay in the party, we will have to wait and see what happens with the final position.”
As Mr Littleproud and Nationals MPs urge Mr Joyce against quitting the party he has twice led, former Nationals senator Ron Boswell said he was disappointed the option was being canvassed by his former protege.
Mr Boswell, who used his 2014 valedictory to describe Mr Joyce’s rise as “one of the things that has given me the greatest pleasure” in his political career, said the former deputy prime minister should not align with the “extreme” views of One Nation.
“I’m bitterly disappointed,” Mr Boswell told The Australian.
“Barnaby was my friend and the National Party is a far better way to represent regional and rural Australia than One Nation.
“I hope that he doesn’t go over to One Nation because I don’t want to see him end up like Latham.”
Mr Latham helped lead One Nation to its best NSW state election performance in 2023 but fell out with leader Pauline Hanson months later and was dumped from the party.
Nationals sources expect Mr Joyce to defect to One Nation and lead the right-wing party’s NSW Senate ticket at the next election, paving the way for him to replace Pauline Hanson as leader.
The Australian understands Mr Joyce seriously considered defecting to One Nation in the last parliamentary term, but ultimately chose to stay with the Nationals.
Sources said Mr Joyce was disillusioned with the Nationals — particularly after being sidelined by Mr Littleproud — but was not ready to give up politics.
Senator Hanson has also previously said she would like Coalition senators Matthew Canavan and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to join her One Nation team.
After it was revealed he was in advanced discussions to join One Nation, Mr Joyce on Saturday said he would not contest the seat of New England and would no longer attend Nationals partyroom meetings.
He attributed his decision to a “broken down” relationship with Mr Littleproud and the junior Coalition party’s ongoing support for net zero.
This is despite Mr Littlerpoud signalling he was preparing to dump the mid-century target that Mr Joyce signed up to when he was National leader in 2021.
While Mr Littleproud has suggested he will dump net zero by 2050, there is uncertainty about how this would work given expectations Sussan Ley will retain a commitment to net zero.
Mr Littleproud on Sunday urged Mr Joyce to stay in the Nationals, declaring the New England MP has a ”contribution to make between now and when he retires”.
“We’ve got some big decisions to make, some decisions to make around things like net zero. How we address those sort of challenges and have a practical solution, not just be part of a protest party,” he told Nine.
“We’ll be talking to Barnaby. We want to make sure that his contribution is a valued one within our partyroom.”
The Australian understands Mr Joyce and Mr Littleproud spoke about the issue for the first time on Sunday.
Mr Joyce will also not attend the joint Coalition partyroom meetings unless the Opposition Leader dumps net zero, although it is unclear whether he will sit on the crossbench in parliament.
Mr Joyce told The Australian his opposition to net zero is “visceral”.
“It is the division of our communities, the beggaring of our poor, the removal of heavy industry, the destruction of our environment and the aiding of the malevolent forces that wish only harm to us,” Mr Joyce said.
“And for the betterment of whom? Insider billionaires.”
Senator Canavan said he hoped Mr Joyce stayed in the Nationals, urging Mr Littleproud to bring him back onto the frontbench.
“I’m disappointed we are not using the clear skills and experience of our former leaders with frontbench roles,” he said.
“Barnaby says he is a free agent and he is one of the best players in the comp. So I hope the Nats do everything we can to keep him on our team.”
Another former Nationals leader, Michael McCormack – who has become an ally of Mr Joyce over the past two years due to a mutual dissatisfaction with Mr Littleproud – urged the New England MP to return to Nationals partyroom meetings.
“He was elected as a National and he owes that to his electorate, he owes it to his branch members, to party members who turn up to hand out for him on pre-poll and election day,” he said.
“While I appreciate he has said he is still with the party, it doesn’t really seem like he is because he won’t be sitting in the partyroom.”
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