John Barilaro’s Turnbull call is an act of political bastardry

NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro. Picture: Britta Campion

Never has there been a bigger act of political stupidity and bastardry rolled into one than today’s comments by NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro.

Using a radio interview with one of Malcolm Turnbull’s strongest media critics to call for the Prime Minister to step down by Christmas was gobsmacking.

Even if Barilaro truly believes what he said, have the guts to ring the PM directly and explain your reasons for making such a startling comment. Barilaro has previously taken aim at Turnbull, after which the PM called him to discuss his concerns. The PM says Barilaro never bothered to call him back.

By saying what he has, literally the day before a Nationals by-election in NSW for the former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, Barilaro has shown stupidity beyond belief. It’s a distraction, it will cause chaos, all of which Joyce didn’t need. Equally, the NSW Premier doesn’t need such unnecessary commentary. She is trying to hold the Coalition together in tough political times, ironically brought on by the poor performance of the Nationals in the regions during Barilaro’s time as leader.

Federal Liberals may now retaliate, as indeed might state Liberals against the state Nationals. Their coalition has endured since the Second World War, yet this lightweight Nationals “leader” is putting all of that at risk.

Barilaro wasn’t even elected as deputy premier, he took out the elected incumbent post the last state election in a party room coup, after a long period of white-anting. Why would he feel the need to weigh into federal politics? Barilaro has had enough problems holding onto extremely safe regional seats at by-elections himself this year.

The only upside to Barilaro’s idiotic intervention is the potential for it to spark a challenge against his leadership. His deputy is more than capable of taking over, as is the former leader Barilaro blindsided.

You expect bastardry in politics, you expect stupidity. You also expect gutlessness. Never before have I seen the three rolled in together so tightly the way Barilaro did today. He didn’t ring Turnbull directly, he’s damaged his federal leader on the eve of a by-election and he’s made divisions in Canberra even worse.

Barilaro simply must go and go quickly. The NSW Nationals should dump him before Christmas.

Peter van Onselen is a professor of politics at the University of Western Australia