Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has confirmed he is joining One Nation in a scathing statement taking aim at mass immigration, multiculturalism and uniparty energy policy.
Mr Joyce, who resigned from the Nationals last week, will remain MP for New England in northern NSW before running for a state Senate seat in 2028, saying in a statement: “I will let the voters be the ultimate arbiter of that decision.”
The former Nationals leader was joined Pauline Hanson in a Tamworth radio appearance on Monday morning, who said she was “emotional” about Mr Joyce’s decision and believed he shared her views on ending “net zero” and cutting immigration.
In his statement, Mr Joyce called for policies that put Australia first, and highlighted patriotism, economic strength and efficiency, family values, individual opportunity and a strong defence force as priorities.
“Currently at our centre we have eviscerated our energy platform on a ludicrous quest to change the weather. Energy is central to our standard of living, strength of an economy and resilience in defence,” he wrote.
“We have tried to remove all risks with mountains of regulations that have reduced rights, not improved them. We have borrowed beyond our capacity to repay and left the consequences to our children.
“We have imposed on the rights of the family in deference to the views of the state. We have increased the population through immigration and, by so doing, removed the capacity for Australians to buy a home, have a family and increase our population by our own means.”
Mr Joyce also warned about attacks on individual rights, impositions on the role of the family, and increases in the power of the state in order to try to make multiculturalism work.
“We have fallen for the fallacy that you can have divergent objectives within a population but a common purpose as a nation. In trying to remove any perceived offence to any we have, in part, succumbed to being embarrassed about who we are,” he said.
“A nation can have multiple faiths, race and colour but not multiple cultures. Australia must bind together under an Australian culture with a common goal to prevail in an increasingly uncertain world. If we are weak there is today the genuine threat that we will lose this incredible blessing which Australia is.”
Nationals leader David Littleproud addressed Mr Joyce’s suggestion that he had not been supported by the party, claiming they stood by him “through many difficult times, including his darkest moments”.
“Barnaby has chosen to turn his back on the Nationals and on his electorate and instead join a party of protest which is never able to achieve anything other than headlines.”
“I have never had a personal issue or problem with Barnaby Joyce. This issue is about Barnaby wanting to be the leader of a party.”
The announcement comes after a new poll had One Nation winning 14% of the primary vote, and two in three voters saying they supported a pause on immigration until housing “catches up”.
Header image: Left, right, Mr Joyce and Ms Hanson (Facebook).
