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Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce announced Saturday he will not contest his New England seat at the next federal election and is leaving the Nationals, saying his relationship with party leadership has “irreparably broken down.” In a statement to branch members obtained by Sky News, Joyce said he would complete his current term but is now “free to consider all options,” fueling widespread speculation about an imminent defection to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party.
The move caps months of escalating tensions between Joyce and Nationals leader David Littleproud following Joyce’s May demotion to the backbench and his aggressive opposition to the party’s net zero carbon policies. Hanson, who was campaigning in Joyce’s electorate Saturday, told reporters she would welcome him to One Nation and had discussed the possibility with him previously, saying Joyce is “more aligned with One Nation than the National party.” Internal Nationals sources confirmed Joyce’s statement but said he had not formally notified party leadership, while senior Coalition figures compared a potential defection to former Labor leader Mark Latham’s switch to One Nation, describing Joyce as “our Mark Latham.”
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