Barnaby Joyce says he will return to parliament for the final sitting fortnight before the winter break, contradicting advice from the Nationals whip that he would take medical leave until the end of June.
Perhaps in response to speculation in Canberra that the beleaguered member for New England might be preparing to quit, Joyce took to social media to confirm his intentions for an early return to the capital, and to inform local constituents that his electorate office would function normally throughout his period of leave.
Contrary to reports, I’m taking leave until June 15 following a routine check up. The medical certificate provided allowed for a month. 1/2
— Barnaby Joyce (@Barnaby_Joyce) May 30, 2018
I look forward to resuming parliamentary duties. The electorate office will continue normal operations in this fortnight. 2/2
— Barnaby Joyce (@Barnaby_Joyce) May 30, 2018
Joyce’s declaration of his intentions cut across a statement from Michelle Landry, the party whip. Landry said Joyce had approached her on Tuesday to request personal leave “effective immediately, running to the end of June”.
“Given his circumstances, and in consultation with the deputy prime minister and the chief government whip, I approved his leave request,” she said on Wednesday morning.
The manager of government business, Christopher Pyne, also said Joyce was on leave because a doctor had advised him to take a break. “Like any worker in Australia they are entitled to sick leave, Barnaby has a sick leave certificate provided by his medical practitioner and that is why he has been given leave and any other person in the workplace who produced such a certificate would get the same kind of leave,” Pyne told Adelaide radio.
The Nationals leader, Michael McCormack, addressed Joyce’s future in an interview with the Conversation on Wednesday, saying it would be up to the member for New England and his local branch members whether or not he recontested his seat at the next federal election.
“That’ll be a matter for him and that’ll be a matter for the National party in New England,” McCormack said. “That’ll be a matter for a branch to nominate him and then that’ll be a matter for the branch members in New England as to whether or not they decide if he nominates or if anybody else nominates.
“Then it becomes a preselection process as to who they think would best represent them going forward.”
But the former prime minister Tony Abbott weighed in volubly in support. “Barnaby is a friend of mine, yes, I have spoken on numerous occasions to Barnaby in recent months, because he is going through a very difficult time, and he deserves the support of his friends,” the former prime minister told 2GB.
He declared that Joyce had “saved the government at the last election”.
“Barnaby has been a wonderful advocate for farmers, he has been a great voice for common sense in public policy,” Abbott said.
“He is about the only person who has barnstormed the country saying we have to develop northern Australia, we have got to have dams, because water is wealth, and without dams we are sacrificing one of our great natural resources, so I would really rather focus on that in that time, and it would certainly cheer Barnaby up to have people focus on that.”
The Seven Network has released a promotional clip for the television interview with Joyce and his partner, Vikki Campion, which will air on Sunday night.
VIDEO: First PROMO for Barnaby Joyce & Vikki Campion chat with Ch7 on Sunday Night.
— Paul Murray (@PMOnAir) May 29, 2018
More NOW #pmlive @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/CSeCb65PRh
Given that Joyce and Campion have been paid $150,000 for the interview, a number of his parliamentary colleagues have voiced discomfort.
Joyce defended the decision to accept payment, suggesting Campion had wanted remuneration. “They wanted an interview obviously to get Vikki’s side of the story and, like most mothers, she said, ‘Seeing as I am being screwed over and there are drones and everything over my house in the last fortnight, paparazzi waiting for me, if everybody else is making money then [I am] going to make money out of it.’”
The financial services minister, Kelly O’Dwyer, said on Tuesday she believed most Australians would be “pretty disgusted”.
On Wednesday the environment minister, Josh Frydenberg, said he didn’t intend to moralise. “Personally, I wouldn’t have done it [the interview] but that is his personal choice that he has made and it is what it is.”
He also defended Joyce’s leave, saying he had sought the break, “and if it is right for him, it is right for us”.
