Barnaby Joyce has sparked fresh speculation about his political future by not dismissing the possibility of leaving the Nationals to join One Nation. This comes amidst ongoing discussions about the former deputy prime minister’s next move.
Joyce shared with the ABC that he intends to resume his role on the Nationals’ backbench when parliament reconvenes next week.
“I’ll figure things out as they come. Honestly, I haven’t made any decisions yet,” he remarked.
When pressed about his plans, Joyce reiterated his previous announcement that he would not seek re-election for his New England seat in New South Wales.
“I’ll have conversations and get back to you,” he added.
In recent days, reports have surfaced suggesting that Pauline Hanson, leader of One Nation, has been trying to persuade Joyce to join her party.
Nationals leader David Littleproud said yesterday he was determined to try to persuade Joyce from leaving the party.
“We’ll be talking to Barnaby. We want to make sure that his contribution is a valued one within our party room, as everybody is,” Littleproud told Weekend Today.
“We want him to stay in The National Party.
“I think he has a contribution to make between now and when he retires.”
Littleproud’s comments came after Joyce issued a statement saying the pair’s relationship had deteriorated.
“My relationship with the leadership of the Nationals in Canberra has unfortunately, like a sadness in some marriages, irreparably broken down,” he said.
Joyce said his policy rift with the Nationals is largely around the policy of net zero emissions by 2050.
