Littleproud looks to strengthen grip on Nationals partyroom amid Joyce turmoil
Party insiders believe Barnaby Joyce's potential defection to One Nation shows any move against the current leader David Littleproud has failed.
Nationals insiders believe Barnaby Joyce’s potential defection to One Nation proves a move against leader David Littleproud has fizzled out, while leaks over his move had added another layer of intrigue to the partyroom.
Three MPs from the junior Coalition partner told Capital Brief that Joyce’s likely departure from Nationals demonstrated that attempts to oust Littleproud had ultimately failed.
The former Nationals leader has stopped short of committing to joining One Nation, describing himself as a “free agent” who would mull his next move “slowly”.
Two of the MPs added that a leak of the potential move had caught Joyce off guard, robbing him of the element of surprise. The leak, which was reported on by the Nine newspapers had reduced the chances of Joyce actually joining Hanson’s far-right party, the MPs said, but both accepted the defection remained a likelihood.
