Rivals queue up to replace Barnaby Joyce as deputy PM

Nationals MP George Christensen urging his party to split from the Coalition and ‘consider our options’ in wake of Joyce saga.

Barnaby Joyce arrives at his news conference yesterday to announce his resignation. Picture: Hollie Adams

Nationals MP George Christensen urging his party to split from the Coalition and “consider our options” in the wake of the Barnaby Joyce saga

Mr Joyce, who stepped down as deputy prime minister yesterday as a “circuit breaker” for a fractious few weeks for the Liberals and Nationals, had been accused of straining the Coalition partnership to breaking point.

Mr Christensen today called for an end to the Coalition altogether, claiming the party now found itself “wedded to a Liberal Party lurching further away from the values we still hold”.

“If that means ending the coalition with the Liberal Party and instead supporting their Liberal government, with conditions attached, then we owe it to those we represent to consider our options,” he told Fairfax.

The controversial Queensland MP — who was referred to police last week over a picture of himself aiming a pistol at “greenie punks”, earning a rebuke from the PM — failed to follow through with a previous threat to quit the Coalition if Malcolm Turnbull was still Prime Minister by Christmas.

George Christensen posted this picture to Facebook, asking: ‘Do you feel lucky, greenie punks?’.

RIVALS QUEUE UP TO REPLACE JOYCE

Meanwhile, Michael McCormack has emerged as the favourite to ­replace Barnaby Joyce as deputy prime minister, after the embattled Nationals leader yesterday stood aside to end bitter infighting within the Turnbull government sparked by his love-child scandal.

After two weeks dealing with the fallout of his affair with now-pregnant former staffer Vikki Campion, Mr Joyce was ­yesterday forced to resign, amid separate sexual harassment ­allegations.

The 50-year-old, who claimed the Nationals leadership in February 2016, said he was moving to the backbench as a “circuit breaker” for the government, his family and Ms Campion, who is due to give birth to his first son in April.

The New England MP, who called a news conference in Armidale yesterday to announce his resignation, vowed to continue fighting for the “weatherboard and iron” people of the bush, and would not rule out a return to the leadership in the future. He chose not to inform Malcolm Turnbull about his decision to resign, following last week’s dramatic fallout between the pair stemming from the Prime Minister’s demand that he “consider his position”.

Leadership contender Michael McCormack. Picture: Keri Megelus

Mr McCormack, a former ­regional newspaper editor and small businessman, moved quickly to announce he would run for the leadership of the Nationals following Mr Joyce’s announcement.

NSW Nationals MP David Gillespie also declared he would contest the leadership at Monday’s party room meeting, to be held at 8am in Canberra.

Mr McCormack, who won support from senior Nationals MPs Darren Chester, Matthew Canavan and Barry O’Sullivan, remains the favourite to replace Mr Joyce.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, a supporter of Mr Joyce, and fellow Queensland MP Keith Pitt, a critic of Mr Joyce, were also understood to be weighing up their options.

The leadership change will spark a ministerial reshuffle and a rewrite of the secret Coalition agreement between the Nationals and Liberal Party.

Nationals federal president Larry Anthony said he expected the Coalition agreement would not be substantially rewritten, and there should be no change in the number of cabinet spots and outer ministries allocated to Nationals.

Leadership contender David Gillespie. Picture: Lindsay Moller

“But any finetuning will be up to the new leader and the Prime Minister,” Mr Anthony said.

In his pitch to colleagues, Mr McCormack, the MP for Riverina, described himself as a fighter and said he had the “drive to deliver”.

“When water rights were challenged in my electorate, I crossed the floor to get a better deal,” Mr McCormack said. “When a big American company came knocking to take over GrainCorp, I stood up for our farmers and opposed it.”

Acting Nationals leader Brid­get McKenzie confirmed she was confident her position as deputy leader was safe. Asked whether Mr Joyce would ever lead the Nationals again, Senator McKenzie said he was “focused on his family and New England”.

Senator McKenzie dismissed questions of a rewrite of the ­Coalition agreement, saying she had spoken to the Prime Minister and “we see this as being a seamless and successful transition by Tuesday morning”.

Senator O’Sullivan, a senior figure within the Liberal National Party in Queensland, said he believed the best outcome for the party would be for a single nomination “that enjoyed the full confidence of the party”. “I don’t believe there should be any significant disruption to ­arrangements around ministries and the like,” he said. “We should just stabilise and get on with the core business. I think we should just go with minimum disruption and get on with it.”

 

The Weekend Australian understands two voting blocs — in central Queensland and regional NSW — could decide the leadership vote.

There has been an internal push for a more balanced ­approach to key posts spread across the lower and upper houses, with Nationals senators currently dominating ministerial positions.

Despite Mr Joyce’s departure, Nationals sources said there ­remained simmering anger in the party’s ranks towards Mr Turnbull, whose assault on Mr Joyce’s “appalling” conduct was seen as an attack on the Coalition partner’s independence.

Mr Joyce chose to inform Acting Prime Minister Mathias Cormann of his resignation, instead of Mr Turnbull.

Mr Turnbull issued a statement thanking Mr Joyce for his service as deputy prime minister, and said the Coalition partnership was undiminished. However, it’s understood he failed to consult with the Nationals when appointing ­Regional Development Minister John McVeigh, a Liberal, as acting minister in Mr Joyce’s infrastructure and transport portfolios.

The one-time maverick who rose to become party leader spent 16 days fending off accusations of improper conduct over his affair with Ms Campion, whose moves to two other political offices are expected to be probed at estimates hearings in parliament next week.

After vowing two days earlier to ride out the political furore, Mr Joyce was forced to step down over a sexual harassment complaint, which he has strenuously denied.

Mr Joyce yesterday described the complaint as “the straw that breaks the camel’s back”.

“Over the last half a month, there has been a litany of allegations. I don’t believe any of them have been sustained,” Mr Joyce said. “It’s incredibly important that there be a circuit-breaker, not just for the parliament, but more ­importantly, a circuit-breaker for Vikki, for my unborn child, my daughters and for (wife) Nat.”

Mr Joyce yesterday asked for “my right to defence” and that the matter be referred to police.

Mr McCormack emerged as the most likely replacement for Mr Joyce despite an embarrassing interview this week in which he repeatedly dodged questions about his support for Mr Joyce.

Additional reporting: Primrose Riordan, Sarah Elks