It’s On: Barnaby Joyce Will Face A Leadership Challenge Next Week

Nationals MP Andrew Broad has publicly called on Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce to resign from the leadership of the National Party, firing the starting gun on a leadership challenge.

In an interview on ABC radio this afternoon Broad said his local Nationals branch had called on Joyce to resign and that he would represent that view to the Nationals party room meeting in Canberra next Monday. He called on Joyce to resign as party leader and go to the back bench.

Broad is the first federal Nationals MP to publicly call for a leadership change. He told the ABC that while he doesn’t want to replace Joyce himself, he believes change is necessary. If Joyce doesn’t resign by Monday, Broad will move a resolution calling for a change of leader.

He said that he had spoken to Joyce and the conversation was “polite”.

Nationals MP Michael McCormack, who is most commonly touted as Joyce’s successor, held a disastrous press conference on Monday where he refused to rule out a leadership challenge.

“There are no plans to challenge Mr Joyce at the moment,” was the best McCormack could offer when repeatedly questioned about a potential leadership showdown.

McCormack has not publicly commented since Monday’s press conference.

Joyce, on the other hand, invited journalists into his Armidale townhouse this week for a candid interview about his affair and the ongoing political scandal. Joyce pleaded with the public and the media to “move on” from the issue.

It looks like his Nationals colleagues aren’t that keen to take his advice.