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Barnaby Joyce can't even travel to Glen Innes without meeting protesters. One lone protester met the Member for New England at the stockyards, bearing two placards. One read "Old King Coal is Dead" and the other "Emperor Barnaby has no clothes". Mr Joyce was in town to "discuss ongoing funding negotiations for the proposed Glen Innes Regional Netball Facility", a media release said. "Afterwards, Mr Joyce will meet with representatives from Glen Innes Natural Resources Advisory Committee (GLENRAC) to hear about plans for their drought recovery workshops, funded under the Government’s Tackling Tough Times grants." Green member Badja Sparks, husband of mayor Carol, turned up at the latter event. Barnaby Joyce said the intrusion was "rude" "How would most people react," he asked "You should have just put your placard back in the boot of your car walked up and said Barnaby do you mind if I have a yarn to you I got things I want to discuss. "I was doing that with everybody else "You know it was just unnecessary and it takes a section of the city debate we don't want into our electorate." The Member for New England seemingly drew attention to Badja Sparks' wife, Mayor Carol Sparks. "What happens if I turn up with a heap of people with placards saying your wife is XYZ and of course I'd never do that. "But people would say that's outrageous, why did you do that. "With a person so close to people in public life he should know better." Mr Sparks responded by saying it "isn't about Carol". "I didn't even tell her I was going to do it," he said. "I just wanted to get an issue, which is climate change, into the media. "I knew they'd be there. "Thanks for the publicity!" Carol Sparks is in Sydney today for a meeting of country mayor's association. Barnaby Joyce announced today that they were closer than ever to winning funding for a new indoor Netball stadium, to replace the existing outdoor courts at the corner of West Avenue and Herbert Street. He also claimed to have helped win support through the Renewable Energy Credit Scheme for the White Rock wind farm. He's not sure if there will be more renewable energy in the area though. "I just don't know," he said. "Their argument is that they don't need support to survive, and that's a very scary thing to say to a Treasurer. "Your wish is now my command! He said renewable energy subsidies applied to existing generators but would eventually reach a cap. "I wouldn't say that sort of support will go on forever, no. Not even the Labor party has that support going on forever, they have that support going on to a certain level and then it stops. "So getting in first was very important."

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