Former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has announced he will not recontest his seat of New England at the next election.
In a statement, he said his relationship with the current Nationals leadership had, “like a sadness in some marriages”, irreparably broken down.
“The instructions that during the federal election I was not to campaign outside New England as that did not represent the views of the Nationals, then after the election being moved on for ‘generational change’,” Mr Joyce’s statement said.
Joyce seeks to repeal net zero
“And just the atmospherics in the party room, where I am seated in the far corner of the Coalition in the chamber, means I am seen and now turning into a discordant note.
“That is not who I want to be.
“More importantly our position in continuing to support net zero with the massive schism and hurt to my electorate, to small businesses, to the environment, to the poor, to the defence of Australia and creating hate between lifelong friends in my community makes continuing in the Nationals’ Party Room in Canberra under this policy untenable.”
Mr Joyce said he was considering his next step, which did not rule out running for One Nation in the Senate.
“I hope that the members understand the unfortunate position I am in and the obvious action after a period of consideration I must take,” he said.Â
The ABC has asked Nationals Leader David Littleproud for a response.
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