Barnaby Joyce will have no guilt over standing against Michael McCormack

Deputy PM Michael McCormack has hit back at Barnaby Joyce, issuing a veiled reminder of his marriage breakdown.

Barnaby Joyce during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has hit back at Barnaby Joyce, declaring he understands “what it takes to have a successful marriage”.

The Nationals leader issued a veiled reminder of Mr Joyce’s marriage breakdown, after the New England MP told ABC radio said the Nationals “are not married to the Liberal Party”.

“I understand when you have a marriage that it is a two way relationship. You don’t always get what you want but you have to work together to build better outcomes for your family. I understand that,” Mr McCormack said.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has hit back at Barnaby Joyce, saying his leadership of the Nationals was not under threat. Picture: AAP

“I understand what it takes to have a successful marriage to make sure that we work together to build a better Australia. That’s what I do with the Liberals.”

Mr McCormack said there needed to be a mix of coal and renewables in the energy mix, staring down a call from Mr Joyce to back a government subsidised new coal-fired power station in central Queensland.

He claimed his leadership of the Nationals was not under threat.

“There is no cold war, there is no coal war. There is no war absolutely whatsoever,” Mr McCormack said.

Joyce: I’m the elected deputy PM

Earlier Mr Joyce said he would not have any guilt about standing against and defeating Mr McCormack if the Nationals leadership was spilled because he was elected as deputy prime minister at the last election.

Mr Joyce this morning reiterated he would stand as Nationals leader if the position was spilled by his colleagues, amid discontent in the party about the performance of the Deputy Prime Minister.

“I’ve always said the same thing: I am not asking for numbers, I’m not going to cause a spill. If a spill is called of course I am going to stand because the position is then vacant,” Mr Joyce told Network Seven.

“I was elected by the Australian people last election as deputy prime minister so I am not going to have any guilt about, if that does happen, about going back.”

The Australian revealed this morning Mr Joyce was demanding Scott Morrison go to the May election promising government support for a new coal-fired power station in central Queensland.

The position is at odds with Mr McCormack, who yesterday said the government should only support a coal station that “stacks up” financially.

The Australian has been told a spill before the election is unlikely but Mr McCormack will almost certainly face a challenge from Mr Joyce after the election.

Mr Joyce said the government faced an uphill battle to win the next election after Labor extended its lead over the Coalition in today’s Newspoll.

“It’s a tough game, no doubt about that,” Mr Joyce said.

“We are not going to give up. We’ve got a whole range of programs that we need to drive forward. Whether it is on the roads, whether it is making sure that we maintain our exports, whether it is fighting for people in remote areas, always making sure that their fundamental way of life is maintained.

“We acknowledge that it is a fight but if we give up, who represents them?”

Scott Morrison this morning said claims Nationals MPs could bring on a spill against the Deputy Prime Minister on budget week were “nonsense”.

“We have a fantastic leader of the National Party in Michael McCormack and there will be no change to that,” Mr Morrison said.