Littleproud said Joyce had expressed embarrassment and added it was his job as party leader to support Joyce’s wellbeing.
“This surprised me;it’s not normal behaviour,” Littleproud said on radio station 4BC.
“There’ll be further conversations with Barnaby to make sure we put the environment around Barnaby that he needs to make sure whatever challenges he’s got,he’s got the support he needs.”
Asked if he would be demoted,Littleproud said:“No,look we just need to work through this.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged Joyce to provide a credible explanation and claimed Australians would be looking for Dutton and Littleproud to show leadership in their handling of the incident.
“People will also think to themselves:what would the response be if that was a minister in my government being seen to be behaving in that way?” Albanese said on Sunday.
The flare-up over Joyce’s conduct has injected new energy into simmering leadership tensions within the Nationals.
Littleproud spoke with Joyce last week and is expected to again speak with his leadership rival this week. Joyce’s recent anti-renewables rhetoric has sharpened and isputting pressure on Littleproud to assuage the right flank of his party as he attempts to conserve the Coalition’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Nationals party is overrepresented in the shadow cabinet,meaning Littleproud may need to drop one of his MPs from the frontbench in along-delayed reshuffle.
Joyce’s situation presents Littleproud with a defensible basis upon which to demote one of his key internal rivals,potentially solidifying his leadership heading into the next election.
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But as several Nationals MPs argued,Littleproud did not have the internal authority to move Joyce to the backbench,a move that could create more disunity and sideline the party’s highest profile and arguably most energetic MP.
“David would know that it is better to have Barnaby in the tent than out,” one MP said.
Some Coalition MPs claimed Joyce’s behaviour harmed no one and was unworthy of punishment,while others argued it was unacceptable for a senior politician.
Senior Liberal sources,who like other sources in this story spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private talks,said they did not expect Dutton and Littleproud to dump Joyce. Littleproud and Joyce were contacted for comment.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said it was up to the Nationals whether Joyce should remain in the shadow cabinet of 24 senior opposition MPs who decide Coalition policy.
“I know that people will have a view about it;I know that people will have their fun with it,” Chalmers said on ABC’sInsiders program.
“From a personal point of view,I don’t like to see anyone in that state. I find it a little bit disturbing,and so I’m not going to take shots at Barnaby about it.”
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