Joyce in advanced talks with Pauline Hanson to join One Nation

21 hours ago 5

Barnaby Joyce is in advanced talks to defect from the Nationals to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party.

Joyce, who represents the NSW regional electorate of New England, declined to comment when asked if he would change parties.

Hanson did not deny the ongoing discussions when asked by this masthead on Friday afternoon.

“If Barnaby wants to come to One Nation I’d be happy to have him,” she said, also suggesting other MPs in the Coalition who were disaffected could join her party.

This masthead reported in February that Hanson had asked Joyce to join her party.

A shock defection by the former Nationals leader to Hanson’s party would cause another headache for the Coalition after the recent loss of Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to the backbench. It would also elevate Joyce’s already high profile and bolster One Nation’s position as a right-wing alternative to Sussan Ley’s more moderate Coalition.

There has been speculation inside the Coalition about the prospect of a populist movement in the mould of the UK’s Reform, led by MP Nigel Farage, although most MPs believe such a party would fail due to Australia’s preferential and compulsory voting system.

Joyce already has a reputation as a firebrand and has mounted vehement opposition to the development of wind and solar farms in regional areas.

This masthead reported in February that Nationals leader David Littleproud implemented a rule to hide Joyce during the election campaign, effectively barring him from conducting political trips outside his electorate.

Since the Coalition’s comprehensive loss at the May 2025 election, Joyce has campaigned against Australia’s net zero emissions targets.

Joyce’s move follows that of a senior NSW Nationals official in Joyce’s New England electorate, Steve Coxhead, who last week quit from his position as Tamworth branch chairman to join One Nation.

“I have resigned as I believe the party does not adequately represent NSW regional and rural voters anymore,” said Coxhead, who listed climate policies and environmental restrictions on farmers as major concerns.

“One Nation is filling the void that has been left by major political parties.”

Joyce applauded Coxhead’s move, saying “my great fear is not people changing parties but rather the loss of the freedom to do so”.

While Joyce has been viewed as a potential leadership challenger to Littleproud, he would face a difficult task in gaining enough support to win a partyroom ballot in the near future.

He lost the leadership of the Nationals to Littleproud in May 2022.

His standing in the party was diminished after an incident in February 2024, when he was filmed stumbling and apparently intoxicated on a footpath at about 11.30pm after attending functions in parliament.

Then-leader of the opposition Peter Dutton suggested he retire after the incident, and Joyce held lengthy talks with Hanson about joining One Nation at that time.

However, the talks did not lead to action and Joyce continued to serve on the frontbench of the Peter Dutton-led opposition as spokesman for veterans’ affairs.

Since the May election, Joyce has been relegated to the backbench.

One Nation’s vote is surging according to opinion polling. One Nation gained two senators, from two to four, at the last election, but its lower house vote did not grow as predicted.

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