On the final parliamentary day of the year, Joyce announced he was quitting the Nationals, which he led twice, and would sit on the crossbench for the remainder of the term.
He talked up One Nation’s prospects and said he would like to become a senator, as Hanson has offered him a NSW senate position, but stopped short of announcing his move to One Nation, declaring he was still assessing his options.
But Hanson’s appearance at Tamworth airport was a sign that an announcement was imminent. Hanson, whose party rose to a record 14 per cent primary vote according to this masthead’s Resolve Strategic Monitor this month, was spotted at Tamworth airport departing a link flight from Brisbane on Sunday night.
Joyce and Hanson’s office were contacted for comment before he made the announcement.
In Joyce’s resignation speech in the House of Representatives last month, he said he wanted to continue fighting against climate change orthodoxy in a “better position than the ejection chair of the backbench of the Coalition in opposition”, admitting in a subsequent press conference that he was seeking more relevance.
Asked about One Nation surging in the polls at a press conference shortly after his resignation, Joyce said there were new winds behind populist movements such as those spearheaded by Donald Trump, Nigel Farage in the UK and Marine Le Pen in France, declaring the fragmentation of media was creating opportunities for new movements.
His resignation came days after Hanson received bipartisan condemnation for wearing a burqa into the Senate, sparking renewed allegations of racism against the Queensland senator. Joyce and Hanson shared a steak dinner in her office, which she cooked on a sandwich press.
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Joyce’s resignation also provoked fury from his long-time Nationals colleagues including Bridget McKenzie, Matt Canavan and Michael McCormack.
Despite the ongoing rumour and speculation that has dogged the Coalition and sparked claims of selfishness, Joyce has claimed he did not want to create a “circus”.
This masthead reported last month that Hanson may have misused her expenses to attend a court hearing in Sydney where she was found guilty of racially offending greens senator Mehreen Faruqi. Hanson has appealed the finding.
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