BARN DANCE FINALLY ENDS
Scandal led to loss of party faith
BARNABY Joyce has resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader after his party colleagues deserted him following an allegation of sexual harassment which he strongly denied.
The maverick politician succumbed to weeks of scrutiny over his affair with a former staff member and his free use of a property owned by a National Party donor.
BARNABY Joyce has quit after a 16-day scandal over his affair with a former staffer and controversy over his rent-free use of an Armidale apartment, leaving Malcolm Turnbull with the mammoth task of repairing the fractured relationships at the heart of the government.
The Nationals leader did not even call the Prime Minister in Washington before he resigned yesterday, saying a sexual harassment complaint against him was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.
But the Gold Coast Bulletin understands the Deputy Prime Minister had lost the support of his party room in the last 48 hours after giving what some colleagues said was a “disastrous” interview about his personal life while he was supposed to be on leave.
In a sign of the breakdown of the Prime Minister’s relationship with his deputy, Mr Turnbull learned of Mr Joyce’s plan to quit when he was shown a news story on a mobile phone about two hours before Mr Joyce’s announcement.
He later released a short statement thanking Mr Joyce for his service as a “fierce advocate for rural and regional Australia”.
The Prime Minister returns to Australia on Monday when the Nationals will choose their new leader, with Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael McCormack the clear frontrunner.
Mr Joyce vowed not to snipe from the backbench and said he would have “other things on his mind” when he and new partner Vikki Campion welcome their son in April.
“It’s incredibly important that this be a circuit-breaker, not just for the Parliament, but more importantly, a circuitbreaker for Vikki, for my unborn child, my daughters and for (his wife) Nat,” he said.
Mr Joyce said he would refer the sexual harassment
claim to police so he could defend himself, adding there had been “a litany of allegations” against him.
“I don’t believe any of them have been sustained,” he said.
Government MPs said last night they were concerned Mr Joyce was angry at how he had been treated by the Prime Minister, who blasted his “shocking error of judgment” last week as he announced a ban on ministers sleeping with their staff.
Several MPs said they were worried Mr Joyce would cause trouble on the backbench, adding to the instability caused by former prime minister Tony Abbott, who has been engaged in a public slanging match with Cabinet ministers this week.
Mr Turnbull said the Liberal-National coalition was “undiminished and will continue to deliver opportunity and security for all Australians”.
Mr McCormack will face off for the leadership against NSW MP David Gillespie, and possibly other candidates, but several Nationals want the party to avoid a contest and settle on a “consensus” choice.
Senator Bridget McKenzie, the party’s deputy leader, said Mr Joyce’s resignation was “the right decision for the National Party, the nation and most importantly his family”.
“There is no stronger advocate for regional Australia,” she said. “Every member of The Nationals team is unified and committed to ensuring the great work started by Barnaby will be delivered long into the future.”
Close ally Matt Canavan said Mr Joyce had “more courage than most” but had “made mistakes”.
“None of my mates are perfect, nor am I,” Senator Canavan said. “I am sure he will recover, learn and be a better person from them. He now has a new partner and a new child to care for and that is much more important than any of his achievements in public life.”