Looking like a shadow of his former self, Barnaby still has voices on his side
Despite embarrassing himself in a display of public drunkenness, former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce is one of the Nationals’ “strongest players on the field”, according to one of his staunchest allies.
An outline is seen next to a planter box where Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs Barnaby Joyce was filmed intoxicated on his back, talking in his phone at 11.30pm last Wednesday night in Canberra, Thursday, February 15, 2024. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
A video published online by The Daily Mail showed the maverick MP lying on his back on a Canberra pavement speaking loudly into his phone after falling off a planter box.
Nationals MPs have expressed concerns for his welfare and agreed the video wasn’t a good look but are waiting for the controversy to blow over.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Nationals leader David Littleproud have urged Mr Joyce to take leave to get the help he needs.
Whether he will go on a break is yet to be confirmed but Nationals MP Keith Pitt – a loyal ally to Mr Joyce – maintains the party will need him at the next election.
“Politics is a lot like sports,” Mr Pitt told ABC radio.
“Whether you like people or don’t like them, if you don’t turn out your best team – if you bench your best players – you don’t win any games.
“The big game is the federal election … we need our strongest players on the field and Barnaby is clearly one of them.”
Mr Joyce was elected to parliament in 2004 and remains a popular MP.
He won the seat of New England with a 14 per cent margin after independent Tony Windsor retired in 2013, and Mr Joyce held the electorate with an even stronger buffer at the last election.
Mr Joyce, 56, who is the opposition veteran’s affairs spokesman, admitted to making a “big mistake” and blamed his behaviour on a mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs, adding “there’s no excuse for it”.
But the Labor government has continued to criticise his behaviour and his future on the opposition front bench remains under a cloud.
Mr Pitt called the scrutiny a public flogging and said Parliament House was a “building full of imperfect people”.
“You’re here to represent your people, it’s them that decide whether you come to the building or not – no one owns the seat,” he said.
“If we look at what’s happened with Barnaby, no one was injured, no one got hurt, there was no crime.
“He’s embarrassed, he’s provided a reason for what’s happened, he’s on his feet in the parliament.”
Mr Joyce was seen in the House of Representatives on Thursday morning.
The viral incident is the latest in a string of controversies.
In 2018, he had an affair with former staffer Ms Campion, which led to the end of his 24-year marriage and the introduction of a “bonk ban” in parliament.
He also gained international attention in 2015 when he threatened to euthanise US actor Johnny Depp’s dogs while serving as agriculture minister.
AAP has contacted Mr Joyce for comment.
