Barnaby Joyce says he will decide by the end of the week whether he will quit the Nationals and defect to the rising One Nation, confirming weeks of speculation about his political future.
The New England MP described himself as a “front row forward” who had been “put in a corner.”
“I just don’t want much of a circus … I’ll get to the end of the week and we’ll make a decision then,” he told 2GB radio.
Joyce indicated any announcement would come after parliament rises for the year on Nov. 27.
Whether he would make a move after parliament adjourns, he replied: “I’ll see. If I was doing anything, I’d try and get out of the building.”
Joyce has not attended National Party room meetings in recent weeks and has held private discussions with Hanson, fuelling expectations of a high-profile departure.
He has already ruled out contesting his New South Wales seat at the next election but says he intends to remain in parliament.
He also explained his absence from Nationals meetings, saying he was keeping his distance out of respect.
“I don’t think it’s fair for them or it’s not fair for me because obviously you become privy to private conversations. They might want to have a private conversation about me.”
Courted by One Nation
Hanson has publicly welcomed the idea of Joyce joining her party, telling reporters he was “more aligned with One Nation than what he was with the National party.”
The two met again on Nov. 24 in Hanson’s office, where a photo distributed by her staff showed the pair smiling.
Their after-hours meeting came as Hanson drew national backlash for wearing a burqa into the Senate earlier that day.
Hanson later posted footage of herself cooking steaks on a sandwich press for Joyce. A berry pie, potato bake, salad and a glass of red wine rounded out the dinner, a meeting held against the backdrop of One Nation’s rising political momentum.
One Nation has recorded some of its strongest polling figures in years. A recent Redbridge survey put the party at a record 18 percent, while the Coalition slumped to 24 percent.
That surge has intensified scrutiny on Joyce’s next move, and unease within the Coalition. Nationals Senator Matt Canavan—formerly Joyce’s chief of staff—urged him to hold firm.
