Barnaby Joyce, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia who is on personal leave. He has temporarily removed himself from the Nationals party room. This decision follows a string of complaints. He allegedly screamed at a staffer and got into her face during a confrontation over her request for leave. Joyce was requesting leave to attend a funeral. This request led to a dramatic showdown with a staffer of Ms. Landry, who is a member of the Republican party.
Joyce’s absence from Parliament on Thursday only added to the tension and speculation over his political future. Earlier this month, he announced he would not seek re-election for his lower house seat in northern New South Wales. Though he distanced himself from the possibility of a Senate run, he hasn’t completely closed the door, putting a number of political options on the table.
Allegations and Response
According to witnesses, Joyce had been growing frustrated with the mandated leave process. They further accuse him of ranting against the National Party. Reportedly, Joyce entered the staffer’s personal space and shouted at the staffer throughout the exchange.
In response to these allegations, Joyce has adamantly denied any wrongdoing. In response to these allegations he said at the time, “I deny the allegations, and honour the PWSS process now fully in train.” The PWSS — or Parliamentary Workplace Support Service — offers confidential support for people experiencing workplace issues in and around Parliament House.
Ms. Landry highlighted how critical the PWSS is. She said it offers impartial, reliable, confidential and victim-focused processes to assist in resolving workplace conflicts that occur in Parliament House. This quote really reiterates the intolerant and serious attitude that these claims are taken with in the political world.
Political Future in Question
Given all this, uncertainty has grown about what’s next for Joyce. There have even been mutterings that he might jump to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party. Joyce has previously referred to himself as a political “free agent,” though he continues his caucus affiliation with the Nationals.
Former Minister Bridget McKenzie, a prominent member of the National Party sharing power with the Liberals, described the mood in Parliament as “tense.” She continued, “There’s been a huge changes since I’ve been here. She reiterated her commitment to creating and maintaining a safe workplace. Because I’ve tried really, really hard to make this parliament a safe place for our staff and MPs to be,” she said.
Current Status
Barnaby Joyce retreating into the Nationals party room. There are lots of folks looking intently at what’s going on, thinking about how it will affect his potential political future. His absence from Parliament, as well as the pending investigation into these allegations, will likely weigh heavily on any future decisions he may make.
