PETA Credlin has slammed the handling of the Barnaby Joyce saga by the Prime Minister’s office, saying it was as “stupid as it gets”.

Speaking on Sky News, the former chief of staff to Tony Abbott said she’d been told by “multiple sources” that Malcolm Turnbull’s staff had been holding meetings “for months about how to handle the Barnaby affair.”

“But it seems no one had the gumption to make a decision to get in front of this inevitable story and manage the release of information,” she said.

BARNABY JOYCE: ‘I apologise to Vikki’

Ms Credlin said Mr Joyce should have issued a simple written statement in April about the end of his marriage, and she did not “buy” claims from Mr Turnbull that he didn’t know about the affair.

“His marriage failure is no crime...but trying to keep it quiet and thinking it would never get out was as stupid as it gets.”

“In time, whatever went on will all come out.”

It comes amid reports the Prime Minister only found out about Mr Joyce’s decision to resign when he was shown a mobile phone two hours before his former deputy announced the news. Mr Turnbull is currently in the US meeting with President Trump.

Peta Credlin comments on the Joyce fallout Peta Credlin comments on the Joyce fallout

Mr Joyce also implied he had not personally informed Mr Turnbull when announcing his resignation on Friday.

“I have informed the Acting Prime Minister, Mathias Cormann of this,” he said. “I informed my colleagues.”

However, when a reporter asked the outgoing leader whether he had told Mr Turnbull about the news, Mr Joyce simply replied: “I’ve spoken to the acting Prime Minister.”

After a tumultuous month for the beleaguered politician, Mr Joyce announced his resignation in a dramatic press conference in Armidale.

Pressure had been mounting on Mr Joyce ever since it was revealed that he had an affair with his staffer Vikki Campion, who is now his partner. They are now living together and their baby is due in April.

The affair has been publicly slammed by Mr Turnbull who accused Mr Joyce of making “a shocking error of judgment”. Mr Joyce hit back by calling the prime minister “inept”.

Mr Turnbull had ordered his deputy to take leave this week to sort out his personal life while the PM visited Washington meeting with US leaders after tensions escalated between the pair.

After Mr Joyce’s announcement, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten added fuel to the fire saying there was no question the relationship between the Nationals and the Liberals was irreparably damaged.

“That the Deputy Prime Minister didn’t ring the Prime Minister to tell him that he was going to resign shows you that this fictional make-up that they had last weekend was just a hoax,” he said.

“Both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister set off to their meeting last Saturday, (acting as) though everything was fine, that they were clearly lying and now the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister has resigned and not even told the Prime Minister shows you there is deep division in the heart of this chaotic government.”

I will continue to fight for the people in the weatherboard and iron, for the people on the peripheral and the small regional towns. I used my experience of these towns and my goal in life will always be to try to make their lives better. — Barnaby Joyce (@Barnaby_Joyce) February 23, 2018

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott attacked the “most senior levels of government” for its handling of the affair — adding that Mr Joyce’s move to the backbench will be a loss to the government.

“The National Party held all its seats at the last election and the Coalition only retained government by the skin of its teeth through this strong performance,” Mr Abbott wrote on Facebook this afternoon.

“Ever since I brought the previous maverick onto the frontbench in opposition, Barnaby has been a strong performer.

“While he could have handled personal issues better, part of the problem has been poor management at the most senior levels of government.

“Barnaby and those close to him should now be given some healing time but I certainly think he still has much to give to his party and our public life.”

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie announced on Friday she would not be running for the party leadership on Monday — adding that Mr Joyce’s decision was “right for the party and the nation as well”.

However, Nationals member for Riverina, also the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel, Michael McCormack, confirmed this afternoon that he will run for the leadership of the National Party on Monday morning.

Mr Joyce resignation is effective from 8am on Monday and the member for New England confirmed he would remain in the seat but would be moving to the backbench.

“Can I say right from the start, this is never about me,” Mr Joyce said in the press conference. “It’s about the person in the weatherboard and iron, something that manifestly expressed what the National Party is about.

“It’s about the person in many places, their right to transcend through the economic and social stratification of life.”

Mr Joyce said it had been an incredible privilege to serve as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.

It went from bad to worse for Mr Joyce this week. Yesterday, he denied claims of sexual harassment against him as “spurious and defamatory”, and today faced fresh questions about an 11-day road trip he undertook in December.

Journalist: "Have you informed PM Turnbull?"

Barnaby Joyce: "I've informed acting PM Cormann".



That says a lot!#barnabye#auspol — BYoung (@MrBMYoung) February 23, 2018

The Deputy PM said there has been a “litany of allegations” none of which have been sustained.

“Might I say right here, any person in any political party always says, the leaking, the backgrounding, all that, it will destroy not only our government, it will destroy any government,” he said at the press conference today.

“Now, might I say, with the last allegation that was in the paper today, I have asked that be referred to the police. I’ve asked for the right of the person who’s made the allegation and I’ve asked for my right of defence that be referred to the police,” he said.

“But it’s quite evident that you can’t go to the Despatch Box with issues like that surrounding you.”

Malcolm Turnbull issued a statement in response to the announcement, saying he thanks Mr Joyce for his service.

“I thank Barnaby for his service as Deputy Prime Minister and in his various Ministerial roles in which he has been a fierce advocate for rural and regional Australia,” he said.

“The Coalition between the Liberals and the Nationals is Australia’s most successful political partnership, having endured for more than 95 years.

“This partnership is undiminished and will continue to deliver opportunity and security for all Australians.

“Pending the Nationals’ election of a new leader and consequent Ministerial changes, the Hon. John McVeigh MP will act as Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.”

Documents sent by the National Party already appear to have Briget McKenzie named as the Acting Leader of The Nationals.

Well that took a grand total of 53 mins #auspol pic.twitter.com/mh0R5AmHgs — Shorten_Suite 👊 (@Shorten_Suite) February 23, 2018

Mr Joyce said the media attention was completely and utterly unwarranted.

He said he came to the decision to step down following the allegations made yesterday describing it as the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“Obviously, it was confirmed by the allegations that I read in the paper. I just thought that has to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” he said.

Just hours ago, Nine News political reporter Lane Calcutt asked the Deputy PM if he was going anywhere following the sexual harassment complaint.

“Let’s just do the presser,” he said.

A spokesman for Mr Joyce told The Daily Telegraph he had been made “indirectly aware” of the claim which he described as “spurious and defamatory”.

“He said allegations of wrongdoing should be immediately referred to police so that the veracity of any claim could be properly tested,” the spokesman said.

Mr Joyce was facing a formal leadership challenge before the dramatic announcement today.

The warning from Andrew Broad, member for the Victorian seat of Mallee, was the first public sign of a move against Mr Joyce since his affair with a staffer was revealed.

Earlier today speaking from Washington, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull dodged questions about whether he wanted Mr Joyce to remain as the Nationals leader.

“Barnaby Joyce is the leader of the National Party of Australia. As leader of the National Party of Australia in a Coalition government, he is my Deputy Prime Minister,” Mr Turnbull said.

“The leadership of the National Party is a matter for the National Party and I’ve been at great pains to stress that I have not, nor has my party, sought to influence in any way the deliberations of the National Party, any more than I’d expect the National Party to seek to influence deliberations of the Liberal Party.”

Mr Joyce said he has a lot of things he needed to do and want to help his colleagues keep their seats and spoke of his commitment to the people of New England.

“I don’t think anybody can deny the work I’ve done for the people of New England, whether it is the mobile phone towers, the Scone Sale Yards, it goes on,” he said.

“I just noted the other day, the dementia unit opened up and we got the money for that and on and on it goes. The upgrade of the airport here. We were part of that.

“I fought for the person in the weatherboard nine, I fought for the person I believed was in the peripheries and the small regional towns. I used my experience of the towns, the Wolbrooks especially, and my goal in life is to try to make their life better.

“And I acknowledge in many areas I am rough around the edges and never tried to be anyone else.”

Mr Joyce once again apologised to his pregnant partner, taking a swipe at the media on the intrusion into her life when he’s the public figure in question.

“I apologise to Vikki, the idea, walking across the road as a pregnant lady and just being, you know, put under so much pressure,” he said.

“I mean, I thought that’s not who we are in Australia. That’s not the kind of people we are. I’m the public figure, go after me. That’s what I get paid for but don’t go after private individuals. It’s just wrong.”

However, colleagues of Mr Joyce were reportedly growing increasingly frustrated with his handling of the scandal.

Yesterday, the Nationals confirmed a formal sexual harassment complaint had been made against Mr Joyce.

“The Federal Party can confirm a formal complaint has been received,” Nationals federal director Ben Hindmarsh said in a statement. “All complaints are taken seriously and treated with strict confidentiality and given due process.”

Nationals MP Michael McCormack has been tipped as the next Nationals leader.

While Mr Broad’s comments yesterday marked the first time a Nationals MP has publicly turned on Mr Joyce, the National Party in Western Australia earlier this week effectively told him to resign.

In a statement, Mia Davies, the leader of the Nationals in WA, said she had contacted Mr Joyce to tell him he was causing “ongoing damage” to the party and his position as Federal Leader was “no longer tenable”.

“Mr Joyce’s actions have caused pain for his family but it is the ongoing damage he is causing The Nationals organisation that is of greatest concern to me as WA Leader,” Ms Davies said.

“The Nationals brand across Western Australia has suffered as a result of Mr Joyce’s actions and he has become a distraction at both a federal and state level.

“My parliamentary colleagues and I have urged Mr Joyce to consider his position as leader in the best interests of the federal party and state branches.

“It is the view of the Parliamentary National Party of Western Australia that Mr Joyce’s position as a Federal Leader is no longer tenable.”

It all comes as the Deputy PM and Ms Campion said they feared their baby son would be viewed “somehow less worthy than other children”, in an interview with Fairfax Media.

The couple claimed they had been “forced out” of their rent-free townhouse in Armidale due to media intrusion as they appealed to politicians and members of the public to give them privacy.

“It’s time to move on,” the Nationals Leader told Fairfax Media.