04:54

Just before his appearance on Sky, Nationals senator John “Wacka” Williams was on Sydney’s 2GB radio.

He gave a bit more detail on his conversation with Joyce last night.

Joyce told him the Daily Telegraph would be running a “crazy story” today that the National Party had received a sexual harassment complaint against him, and he was concerned it was all hurting the party and the government too much.

“I read the story this morning,” Williams said.



“I sent him a text and said look, if I was you I’d stand down … then he rang me back and we had a chat.”



He said he didn’t try to convince Joyce to remain as the party leader because he understood why Joyce would want to step aside.



But he said Joyce was “very cranky” that a woman had made a sexual harassment allegation against him when she hadn’t even gone to the police.



“I said to him look you know, they throw so much mud some sticks, people they’ll allege this and allege that, and people get the wrong impression of so-and-so.



“I’m glad he stood down … he’s been a great leader that’s achieved so much for regional Australia, but he’s also a human being, he’s got a personal life to have as well, and I think he’ll have a lot of pressure off him and he can do his job as the member for New England.



“I did say to him ‘You’re not going to stand down as a member for New England?’ and he said ‘No way, that’s my passion, helping the people here’.”



Williams said he didn’t know any details of the sexual harassment allegation.



“I think he needs a breather,” Williams said.

