Barnaby Joyce on Brink of One Nation Defection: Nationals Leader Pleads with Rogue MP to Stay Loyal
- Barnaby Joyce sparks crisis in National Party after announcing he won’t re-contest his seat at the next federal election
- Pauline Hanson invites Joyce to join One Nation, sparking fears of a major party split
- Nationals leader David Littleproud begs Joyce to stay, warning him against abandoning important decisions for a “protest party”
Barnaby Joyce, the former Nationals leader and deputy prime minister, is considering defecting to One Nation, leaving the National Party in crisis. Joyce announced yesterday that he would not re-contest his lower house seat at the next federal election, citing an irreparable breakdown in relations with Nationals leader David Littleproud.
In a desperate bid to keep Joyce on board, Littleproud has publicly begged him to stay, warning him that leaving the Nationals for One Nation would be abandoning important decisions to join a “protest party”. “We want him to stay in the National Party, we think he has a contribution to make between now and when he retires,” Littleproud told Channel Nine.
However, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has already extended an olive branch to Joyce, inviting him to join her party. The move has sparked fears of a major party split, with Joyce’s private member’s bill to repeal climate-related laws still pending in parliament.
Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam has also weighed in, warning Joyce that if he intends to abandon the Nationals for One Nation, he should not continue to sit in parliament as a Nationals MP. “I certainly hope that in reflecting on his time in parliament, which is something that only became possible because of his support from the National Party organisation that he doesn’t walk away from that,” Senator Duniam said.
As the drama unfolds, Nationals colleagues are bracing themselves for the fallout, with some warning that Joyce’s departure could trigger a broader exodus of disaffected MPs. With the party’s unity hanging by a thread, one thing is certain: the next move by Barnaby Joyce will have major consequences for the National Party and Australian politics.