Joyce out as leader of party
AUSTRALIA: Barnaby Joyce will step down from the Nationals leadership, as his party investigates an allegation of sexual harassment that he denies.
Joyce announced yesterday that he would throw open the party leadership at a meeting in Canberra on Monday.
‘‘To give these people in the weatherboard and iron, in those regional and small towns the best opportunity, this current cacophony of issues has to be put aside,’’ he said.
The deputy prime minister has spent 16 days fighting off accusations of improper conduct over his affair with his nowpregnant former staffer Vikki Campion, who was moved to two other political offices.
‘‘Over the last half a month, there has been a litany of allegations. I don’t believe any of them have been sustained,’’ Joyce said.
He said he believed the government and his family needed a ‘‘circuit breaker’’ to stop the flood of stories. ‘‘It’s not fair on them.’’
He said the final straw was a sexual harassment allegation revealed on Thursday, which he has asked to be referred to the police.
Joyce has not directly told Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull he is resigning, but he said he had spoken to Mathias Cormann, who is acting PM while Turnbull is overseas.
He said he would not be endorsing a replacement at Monday’s meeting. – AAP