Despite finding himself on the backbench after Sussan Ley and David Littleproud set aside their differences and reformed the Coalition, Barnaby Joyce remained upbeat.
Posting on Facebook after the newly-reformed Coalition’s shadow cabinet was announced without him in it, Joyce declared that his relegation to the backbench, and has declared that being out of cabinet gives him “clear air to speak the truth” on the “disastrous policy” of Net Zero.
“Today I was declared the member for New England by the AEC and demoted from Shadow Cabinet – interesting day,” Joyce said on Wednesday.
“I’m there to serve the people of New England, and I’ll continue doing that job – that is number one priority for me.
“With the change in circumstances in the cabinet? It’s not that bad, really.”
Joyce won’t be lonely on the backbench, as joining him will be another former leader Michael McCormack, who has also been dumped from the shadow ministry after casting doubt on Littleproud’s position.
Joyce has denied that he intends to challenge for the leadership again, as has McCormack.
Joyce’s recent prostate cancer diagnosis, which he kept quiet during his campaign, and subsequent treatment kept him out of most of the chaos of the past three weeks, but his journey back down Canberra on Friday signifies that he’s back to work.
Gunnedah’s Jamie Chaffey, now the member for Parkes, will enter the federal parliament as Assistant Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Resources. Chaffey was contacted for comment but was unavailable.
Chaffey stood firmly beside Littleproud during the split, stating at the time the Liberals “don’t know what policies they do or will support.”
“As a new member of The National’s Party Room, I couldn’t support a position to walk away from policies that we took to the election…that were supported by the Parkes electorate as shown by my resounding result, simply to stay in a Coalition with The Liberal Party.”
Littleproud, who retained his Agricultural portfolio, stood next to Ley as they announced their new cabinet, with several big names absent.
“Our team is one of strivers and optimists of leaders and listeners,” Ms Ley told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
New deputy leader of the Liberal Party Ted O’Brien – the most vocal supporter of nuclear power who idid most of the work on the policy – becomes shadow treasurer, while the unsuccessful leadership challenger Angus Taylor is demoted to Defence.
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who sent shockwaves through the coalition when she defected from the Nationals to the Liberals after the election to run for deputy leader on Angus Taylor’s ticket, will still be working with Taylor as the opposition’s defence industry and personnel spokeswoman, demoted from the shadow cabinet to the outer ministry.
Former soldier Andrew Hastie leaves defence to take on home affairs, while Dan Tehan takes on energy and emissions reduction.
Julian Leeser retakes his old role as shadow attorney-general after he resigned from shadow cabinet to campaign for the Indigenous voice referendum in 2023, in one of the most significant indications of a move back to the “sensible centre”.
Senator Michaelia Cash takes on foreign affairs, while Senator Anne Ruston stay in health, Nationals deputy Kevin Hogan retains trade and Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie keeps infrastructure.
Alongside Joyce and McCormack, other notable names who failed to gain a cabinet position include Matt Canavan, a champion of government-owned nuclear power plants and who challenged Littleproud for the leadership of the Nationals, and Jane Hume, who was given the poisoned chalice of fronting the disastrous end to working from home policy during the election campaign, losing a lot of votes from women.
There are two months left until Parliament resumes, but it remains to be seen if this reformed Coalition can maintain stability.
Adding insult to injury for the bruised coalition, the final distribution of preferences yesterday saw Pauline Hanson’s One Nation win a surprise extra two seats in the Senate, pipping Labor for the final spot in both NSW and WA.
“It’s a breakthrough not only for our party, but for the millions of Australians who feel ignored by the political elite and want common sense restored to public life,” Senator Hanson said.
Warwick Stacey will be the new One Nation Senator for NSW, joining Tyron Whitten from Western Australia, and Malcolm Roberts was re-elected in Queensland. Hanson herself was not on the ballot this election, being only halfway through her six year term.
It’s the first time One Nation has had four senators in parliament – the same number as the Nationals – since 2016.
Parliament will resume in late July.
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