It’s Friday. Must be another political implosion in progress.
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This time it’s the Nationals. The other half of the governing coalition. On the eve of the Wentworth by-election it’s the last thing they would want.
But here we are. Incumbent National’s leader Michael McCormack has the disgraced former leader Barnaby Joyce nibbling at his heels.
McCormack is under pressure for his performance as Nationals leader – or lack thereof – failure to push the party’s agenda and being too cosy with the Liberals.
McCormack has decreed there’s nothing to see here, I’ve got the support of the party. Sorry, we’ve heard this one before. Recall the demise of Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister.
The National party faithful have been trotted out to shore up the nothing-to-see-here line.
Frontbencher Michelle Landry, while conceding Joyce would in all likelihood be a future party leader, said it wouldn’t be now. There was no appetite for a spill.
Me thinks they doth protest too much.
Joyce, who resigned in disgrace earlier in the year after months of revelations about his personal life, hasn’t ruled out stepping back into the main Nationals job. In fact, he’s said point blank he wants it: “I would take the Nationals leadership if offered it.”
No surprise there. Afterall, he didn’t want to give it up in the first place. Yes he resigned. But he went kicking and screaming that it just wasn’t fair. That his private life was private. That he should have been able to stay in the role. That the brouhaha hadn’t affected his ability to do the job.
So, a bit of time as a drought relief envoy, a TV interview with new partner Vikki Campion and the birth of their son Sebastian later, we could have Joyce back as deputy prime minister.
The best retail politician in Australia has, it seems, this time worked behind the scenes to sell himself as the best alternative.
The larrikin from Woolbrook, with his Akubra and his RM Williams, could yet rise from the political ashes.
Juanita Greville
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