Australian deputy PM Barnaby Joyce facing pressure from own Nationals party to resign over affair
Newspapers revealed last week that he and his former media adviser are expecting a baby together, and the scandal has angered many within his conservative, rural-based party
Australia’s deputy prime minister was under mounting pressure on Wednesday to resign as his party’s leader over revelations of a relationship with a former staffer.
Newspapers revealed last week that Barnaby Joyce and his former media adviser are expecting a baby together, and the scandal has angered many within Joyce’s conservative, rural-based Nationals party. As leader of the junior party in the governing coalition, Joyce is both the deputy prime minister and acting prime minister when the prime minister is overseas.
Nationals lawmaker Ken O’Dowd said he expected a party delegation would confront Joyce soon to consider his position.
“The party will probably talk to him and discuss the future of Barnaby and the future of the … party,” O’Dowd told reporters. “He’ll probably need the advice and someone needs to tell him where the party stands at this stage.”
If Joyce resigns, “we would find a good leader, I feel sure about that”, O’Dowd added, without naming a potential replacement.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, a senior Nationals lawmaker, said most of the party still supported Joyce’s leadership.
