Barnaby Joyce quits as Australia’s deputy prime minister after affair with staff member
Sydney — Australia’s deputy prime minister said on Friday he would resign as leader of his party, after weeks of pressure over an affair with a staffer that brought him into open conflict with his premier, and threatened to shatter a decades-old coalition. Barnaby Joyce said he would step down on Monday as leader of the National party, the junior partner in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s centre-right coalition, after resisting earlier calls to quit over the affair with his former media secretary, with whom he is expecting a child. He will remain in parliament, safeguarding Turnbull’s shaky one-seat majority. Joyce’s decision came after a falling-out with Turnbull, who is in the US for meetings with President Donald Trump and who declined to leave Joyce in charge while he was out of the country. Turnbull called Joyce’s affair a "shocking error of judgment" last week, to which Joyce responded by calling Turnbull "inept". Joyce, a practising Catholic, has been married for 24 years a...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.