Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he doesn’t know if Barnaby Joyce is safe as leader of the Nationals, but says he and Joyce have moved on from their war of words over Joyce’s relationship with a former staffer.
Turnbull on Monday told 3AW radio host Neil Mitchell he couldn’t say whether Joyce had the confidence of the National party.
“He says he does and others have said he does,” the prime minister said.
“These are all matters in the gift of the National party room. A party room, I might add, which I have never sought to influence in any way.”
The Turnbull-Joyce relationship has been questioned by many after the PM last week criticised his deputy over revelations he had an affair with a former staffer, Vikki Campion, who is now pregnant with his child.
Many have called on Joyce to step down or be sacked as leader of the Nationals, and leave the frontbench, where he serves as minister for transport and infrastructure.
However, several Nationals have said Joyce’s is safe as leader, and Joyce has no plans to step down as a result of the scandal.
Turnbull on February 15 told a Canberra press conference he had no say over who led the National party, but said Joyce had made “a shocking error of judgement”.
Turnbull said Joyce had “set off a world of woe” for Campion, his wife Natalie, and his four daughters, and had “appalled all of us”. The PM also outlined new measures to ban sex between MPs and their staffers.
Joyce was not happy with the dressing down he received from the prime minister, saying on February 16 Turnbull’s comments had “caused further harm”.
“I believe they were in many instances inept and most definitely in many instances unnecessary,” Joyce said.
The pair reportedly met to discuss the matter on Saturday, February 17, and Turnbull said on Monday that he and Joyce were prepared to move on.
“We have a frank, forthright relationship,” the PM told 3AW. “It’s clearly a very stressful time for him … an emotional time. I’m not going to get worked up about reactions.
“But it was very important for me on Thursday to speak from the heart, to speak frankly about what had happened and most importantly, to demonstrate to Australians that I was going to do everything I can to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
“I think we can say that this particular issue, as far as us personally, we’ve put whatever tensions there were behind us. We have to be very professional about the relationship and get on with it. There is not an issue or conflict between the Liberal Party and the National Party, I give you my assurance about that.”
Joyce’s potential departure as transport and infrastructure minister could pave the way for a return by former minister Darren Chester.
Chester, by all accounts a good minister, was dumped to the backbench in December’s reshuffle, which saw Joyce name himself transport and infrastructure minister, with eyes on championing the Inland Rail project.