Friday, February 23, 2018

Dear Prime Minister, Senator Joyce did the right thing by resigning from both positions as his baby is due in April, 2018! One should never has a sexsual relationship with a staff. Yours respectfully, Eddie Hwang Honurary President info@unitypartywa.org Phone: 93681884. Barnaby Joyce has stepped down as leader of the Nationals and Deputy Prime Minister. Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce will step down from his posts on Monday. Mr Joyce, speaking at a press conference in the NSW town of Armidale, said the “cacophony” of allegations against him had to stop. He said it would be almost impossible for him to sit in the House of Representatives with the allegations including the latest claim of sexual harassment. “But it’s quite evident that you can’t go to the dispatch box while issues like that are surrounding you,” he said. “On Monday, at party room, I will step down as the leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister.” “It will be a circuit breaker for my daughters, it will be a circuit breaker for Nat. It has got to stop.” Mr Joyce said over the past few weeks there had been a “litany” of allegations against him. “I don’t believe any of them have been sustained,” he said. Echoing former PM Tony Abbott, Mr Joyce said he would not undermine the Government while on the backbench. “I won’t snipe,” he said. Mr Joyce said with his baby to partner Vikki Campion due in April, he would be busy on the backbench. He said it was not a tough decision to step down. “At the end, no not hard at all,” he said. Trio in line for Nationals leadership The three men in line to replace Barnaby Joyce as Nationals leader include a gastroenterologist, a journalist and a rising star from the agriculture industry. The meteoric rise of David Littleproud could continue, with the Maranoa MP tipped by some to challenge strongly for the leadership. The 41-year-old Queenslander, who ran an agribusiness southwest of Brisbane, was only elected to parliament in 2016 and entered cabinet as Agriculture Minister just two months ago. His father Brian Littleproud was a long-time Queensland state MP and served as a minister. Another challenger, Michael McCormack, was editor of the Daily Advertiser in Wagga Wagga through the 1990s, before entering parliament in 2010. He has been touted as a potential leader, but suffered through a difficult interview on Sky News this week where he repeatedly refused to back his boss. The Veterans Affairs Minister also didn't rule out running for the leadership. "It's a very hypothetical question, we'll just have to see what happens in the future," he said earlier this week. David Gillespie was a gastroenterologist for 20 years before he entered parliament in 2013 as member for Lyne. He was appointed Assistant Minister for Rural Health in 2016, before becoming Assistant Minister for Health, and now Assistant Minister for Children and Families. Dr Gillespie faces a High Court challenge over his ownership, at the time of election, of a small suburban shopping complex which has an Australia Post franchise. He could be rendered ineligible to sit in parliament if the court finds he has an indirect financial benefit in the commonwealth. Former Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester was dumped to the back bench in December and is considered unlikely to win votes in a leadership spill. Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie is Victorian and a senator, so is also unlikely to be considered. Mr Joyce has declined to publicly back any successor.

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