Barnaby Joyce affair: leader hits back as WA Nationals withdraw support

Barnaby Joyce has issued a stinging rebuke to the WA Nationals who told him he no longer had their support.

Deputy Prime Minister and member for New England Barnaby Joyce. Picture: Gary Ramage

Barnaby Joyce has hit back after the WA Nationals told him he no longer had their support because of “ongoing damage’’ he is causing.

“Thank you Mia for your correspondence,’’ a statement from the embattled Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader says in response to WA Nationals leader Mia Davies.

“I acknowledge your concerns however it should also be said that you don’t have a Federal member of Parliament in the National Party of Australia, your last member spending their time almost exclusively as an independent and only once or twice coming to the National Party room meetings. I also note, you are not in a Coalition in Western Australia and the WA Nats pride themselves on their ferocious independence. Therefore I find it surprising that a federal issue has so much momentum in the West when people in the east in the National Party, have in the majority a different view - and to be quite frank, vastly more skin in the game.

“I am happy to discuss in person if you so wish. I note you have my new

number.’’

Earlier, the WA Nationals said Mr Joyce’s his position is “no longer tenable”.

The state branch is the first to abandon Mr Joyce in the wake of his extramarital affair with former staffer Vikki Campion.

But Resources Minister and Nationals senator Matt Canavan urged members to hold their nerve, saying the interests of the party and regional Australia were best served by Mr Joyce remaining as leader.

In a statement released this afternoon, Ms Davies said: “I have today contacted Barnaby Joyce to inform him he no longer has the support of the parliamentary National Party of Western Australia as the leader of the federal National Party.

“Mr Joyce’s actions have caused pain for his family but it is the ongoing damage Mr Joyce is causing The Nationals organisation that is of greatest concern to me as WA leader.

“The Nationals brand across regional Western Australia has suffered as a result of Mr Joyce’s actions and he has become a distraction at both federal and state level.

“My parliamentary colleagues and I have urged Mr Joyce to consider his position as leader in the best interests of the federal party and state branches.

“It is the view of the parliamentary National Party of Western Australia that Mr Joyce’s position as federal Leader is no longer tenable.

“I recognise Mr Joyce for his service to the party over many years and acknowledge his work dedicated to the people of regional Australia.”

Senator Canavan said respected Ms Davies and knew her well, but had a different opinion regarding Mr Joyce.

“She’s done a good job over in Western Australia. She’s of course entitled to her opinion and it’s one I can understand, but I think the interest of the National Party and regional Australia is still served by Barnaby staying there to fight for regional areas,” he said.

“He’s achieved a lot over that time and I’m confident he would continue to as leader of the Nationals Party.”

Senator Canavan said he had heard similar sentiments to that of Ms Davies from “lots of people”.

“It’s obviously not 100 per cent in one direction. I think the feedback from our members, though, and our supporters on the ground is that they want to see Barnaby continue there and want to see him fight for regional Australia,” he said.

“There’s a level of disappointment about what’s happened but they don’t want to see a change of direction.

“There’s a level of trepidation about the leadership for regional Australia that would be replaced if Barnaby is no longer leading the National Party.”

Senator Canavan also said he was not aware that Mr Joyce’s former press secretary, Vikki Campion, had been in a relationship with the Deputy Prime Minister when she moved from Mr Joyce’s office to a higher paying job in Senator Canavan’s office.

“I don’t pry into people’s personal lives, and so I don’t ever pretend that I know what goes on in people’s personal lives,” he said.

“In terms of Ms Campion’s employment, she was very well qualified for the role we were seeking.

“She got the job on her merits and was a good and effective employee, albeit only for a few months for me because I had to resign over citizenship issues and all of my staff lost their jobs.”

Asked whether he had sought assurances from NSW Nationals MP Michael McCormack that he doesn’t want Mr Joyce’s job, Senator Canavan said it was “a matter for Michael”.

“I don’t run around asking my colleagues that question every day of the week,” he said.

Senator Canavan said any leadership spill was a matter for the Nationals partyroom.

“It’s my assessment the vast majority of my colleagues want to see Barnaby there and want to see him fight for regional Australia,” he said.

Nats party meeting thwarted

Next Monday’s Nationals partyroom meeting will go ahead without the party’s senators, but a challenge or spill motion will need to be moved and a special meeting convened if there is to be a change of leadership.

Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce is currently on leave amid debate over the future of his leadership after his affair with his pregnant former staffer Vikki Campion became public.

While the House of Representatives is sitting next week, senators are only required to be in Canberra if they are participating in Additional Senate Estimates hearings.

The 16 Lower House Nationals MPs will therefore be at Monday’s meeting, but senators including Nationals deputy Bridget McKenzie, Resources Minister Matt Canavan, Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion, Barry O’Sullivan and John Williams may not be.

A spokesman for Nationals whip Michelle Landry said that even if all 21 members of the partyroom were present, a showdown over the party’s leadership could only be brought on by a formal challenge or spill motion, which could be moved any time between now and next week.

Nationals president Larry Anthony convened an emergency meeting of senior party ­officials yesterday to discuss the widening crisis, following pleas by former deputy prime minister John Anderson for MPs to “exercise their responsibility” and resolve the issue by next week.

Mr Joyce, who was first elected to the Senate in 2004, insists he isn’t for moving, labelling calls to oust him a “witch-hunt”.

The Australian has been told that of the 21-strong Nationals party room in Canberra, five MPs have decided Mr Joyce should go, about six MPs are firmly behind their leader and the other 10 are waiting to see whether any more damaging revelations emerge.

One thing stopping any move on Mr Joyce is the lack of a clear ­alternative.

Newspoll found yesterday that 65 per cent of Australians thought Mr Joyce should go as Deputy PM, either now or before the election.

Michael McCormack — the Veterans’ Affairs Minister touted as most likely to succeed Mr Joyce — fuelled leadership speculation further yesterday after repeatedly ­refusing to support the Deputy Prime Minister. He also refused to rule out a challenge ­before reluctantly signalling his personal support.

Internal polling by the Nationals shows that Mr Joyce would still comfortably win New England if an election were held today, with a margin of about 13 per cent, but his net favourability in the seat has gone through the floor.

Polling by the Nationals in the seat conducted on Wednesday and Thursday last week found Mr Joyce had a primary vote of 52 per cent if he were running against former member Tony Windsor and that he would win by 63-37 on a two-party-preferred basis.

His “net favourability” — the difference between his approval and disapproval ratings — fell from 30 per cent to 7 per cent.

Many Nationals would point out this is still vastly superior to the net favourability ratings of Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten, both of which are in the negative.

The Nationals decided to poll the seat last week in reaction to a Fairfax Reachtel poll and on the basis that during the recent New England election campaign, public polling was less flattering to their side than their private polling. Last week’s Reachtel poll had Mr Joyce on a primary vote of 43 per cent.

Mr Joyce won a 52 per cent primary vote at the 2016 election but during last year’s December 2 by-election, necessary after the High Court found the Deputy PM had dual citizenship, he won a 65 per cent primary vote and 73.6 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote.

Mr Windsor did not run at that poll.

The Nationals have several marginal seats to defend at the next federal election, from Capricornia, with a margin of 0.63 per cent, to Flynn (1.04 per cent), Page (2.3 per cent), Dawson (3.3 per cent) and Cowper (4.5 per cent).

Additional reporting: AAP