Barnaby Joyce Reckons The Indonesian Government Secretly Sends Refugees To Australia

Barnaby Joyce says and does so many stupid things you can split them into genres. One genre, the best one, covers the times he says dumb stuff that’s funny and has no real consequences, like when he threatens to kill a celebrity’s dogs or screams the word “CAAAARP” over and over for no reason.

Then there are the other times, when you remember that he’s actually the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and his brand of cyclone-level nonsense can be a pretty dangerous thing. Last night Joyce joined Shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon and Greens leader Richard Di Natale in Goulburn for the Regional Leaders Debate, a forum hosted by the ABC to let regional and rural voters grill politicians on issues that affect them.

Which brings us to Barnaby’s latest display of crimson-faced madness. While debating the merits of Australia’s controversial live export industry, Joyce suggested that the Indonesian government retaliated to Australia’s brief ban on live exports to Indonesia in 2011 by secretly sending boatloads of asylum seekers to Australian waters.

“Might I remind you that when we closed down the live animal export industry, it was around about the same time we started seeing people arriving in boats in Australia,” Joyce said to shocked and derisive noises from the crowd.

“Do you genuinely believe those two things were linked?” asked host Chris Uhlmann. “You do realise that you’re suggesting the Indonesian government unleashed the boats in response?”

Joyce refused to answer directly, only reiterating that banning live exports had generated a lot of “bad will” with Indonesia. His response was met with incredulity from his opponents.

“What’s that got to do with refugees, Barnaby? I don’t see the link,” Greens leader Richard Di Natale responded. “Are you suggesting the Indonesian government is sending refugees to Australia?”

Shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgbbon was similarly nonplussed. “Barnaby, Chris gave you an opportunity to step back from your comments. Do you not … you’re taking the opportunity?”

Dep PM @Barnaby_Joyce has linked 2011 decision to suspend live exports with more asylum seekers @abcnews #ausvoteshttps://t.co/fmy3IG2oR0

— Matthew Doran (@MattDoran91) May 25, 2016

Of course, it’s entirely possible that Joyce’s comments last night were deliberately designed to be inflammatory. Like Peter Dutton’s claim last week that “illiterate and innumerate” refugees are coming to simultaneously take Australian jobs and clog up the dole queue, the more outrageous statements the government makes about asylum seekers, the more people’s attention will be drawn to an issue the government is confident voters trust it on.

But like Dutton’s effort last week, that strategy has pretty big risks attached. Alienating rural voters, immigrant families and other large swathes of the electorate just to generate more headlines about Stopping The Boats only highlights the cynicism and contempt with which the government regards the public. Not to mention how Indonesia is going to react to a suggestion by our second-most senior government representative that they’re breaking international law.

It’s moments like these where the fact of Joyce’s Deputy Prime Ministership really hits home. Either he genuinely believes the garbage he says, or he’s willing to use his high office to risk our relationship with Indonesia for the sake of some headlines. Given Joyce, in particular, is in real danger of losing his seat, decisions like these might come back to haunt him sooner than he’d like.