Barnaby Joyce regains role as Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Nationals Party

Barnaby Joyce has been re-elected as Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Nationals Party after a leadership spill within the party ousted Michael McCormack this afternoon.

Michael McCormack lost both of his positions as the Leader of the Nationals Party and Deputy Prime Minister after Senator Matt Canavan called a spill motion against the outgoing leader earlier today.

Baranby Joyce is set to take both positions after securing the 21 majority votes needed for the spill motion to pass. This will mark Mr Joyce’s second time in the roles of Leader of the Nationals Party and Deputy Prime Minister. He resigned in 2018 after it was reported by The Daily Telegraph that a former media adviser to him had fallen pregnant by him. This revealed his extramarital affair with a staffer during his time in office. After resigning, Mr Joyce would spend the remainder of his time in Parliament as a backbencher for 3 years until today.

Mr Joyce joined Deputy Nationals Leader David Littleproud and Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie in a press conference outside Parliament House today.

“I’d like to say to my colleagues,” said Mr Joyce. “How humbled I am that the task going ahead first and foremost is to make ourselves a team that is formidable for the next election.

“No one person makes a decision, it’s a democratic decision, and nothing is a certainty and you don’t have the minds of other people. The most important thing is this is about, first and foremost, the people of Australia, then the people of regional Australia, and to be brought about by that wonderful team, the Nationals.”

Mr Joyce also reflected on his time on the backbench and the circumstances leading up to his resignation in 2018 saying he hopes to come back as a “better person”. Mr Joyce also took questions from reporters on his new role as the leader of the Nationals and Deputy PM. Some asked him his thoughts on critics saying he undermined Mr McCormack’s role, concerns that he “might be a turn off for female voters” and his thoughts on the government’s stance on a net zero emissions target”, which Mr Joyce has opposed alongside his colleagues from the Nationals Party.

Prior to Mr Joyce’s press conference, a teary eyed Mr McCormack, joined by his wife Catherine Shaw, held his own press conference. Mr Joyce thanked Mr McCormack and said he admired him for his dignity during the press conference, a message which was later followed by Mr Littleproud.

Mr Joyce has also said he has spoken to Prime Minister Scott Morrison who is currently self isolating in The Lodge after attending the G7 Summit in Cornwell in England. While the content of the conversation between the incoming Deputy PM and PM has not been revealed, Mr Morrsions’s office has released an official statement highlighting the partnership between the Liberal Party and Nationals. The statement also welcomed Mr Joyce as the deputy PM for the Coalition and thanked Mr McCormack for his time as deputy PM.

Mr Joyce is expected to be sworn into his official titles in the morning.