Former deputy prime minister says Turnbull is poisoning the Coalition government before next year’s election

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce says Malcolm Turnbull “threw him under the bus” and has accused him of causing turmoil in the Liberal party.

Joyce, who was forced to resign this year after having an extramarital affair with an employee, said the former prime minister was poisoning the Coalition government before next year’s federal election.

“One of our big problems was Malcolm Turnbull ... the person who threw me under the bus,” he told Sky News on Friday.

“He just started delivering this – almost this poisonous, incendiary approach now – in the assistance of trying to deliver us to opposition.”

Joyce is still furious at Turnbull for publicly denouncing his extramarital affair with Vikki Campion, who later had his baby and remains his new partner.

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He is also angry at the former prime minister for walking away from parliament after losing the leadership in August, and for supposedly not campaigning vocally enough for the Liberal party candidate in the byelection for his former seat of Wentworth.

Some Coalition MPs are also squirmish about Turnbull’s occasional public statements since leaving public office, especially those aimed at conservative colleagues who plotted his downfall.

The Nationals deputy leader, Bridget McKenzie, also took a swipe at Turnbull.

“I think former prime ministers of all colours should consider their legacy when they’re looking at their behaviour post-leaving parliament,” senator McKenzie said.

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“I’m sure that every one of our MPs and senators is working hard to convince the Australian public that we will deliver for them.”

With the Coalition struggling to remain in control of parliament and languishing in opinion polls, the leader of the house, Christopher Pyne, has ruled out changing Liberal leaders again.

The former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has confirmed she will recontest the next election and has not ruled out running for the leadership again in the future.

Research published by the Australian Institute this week found more Australians recognise Bishop than the prime minister, Scott Morrison.

Appearing on Nine Network on Friday, Pyne was asked why the Liberal party didn’t just “let Julie Bishop run the show” given her popularity.

“We have a leader, it’s Scott Morrison. We are not changing the leader again,” he said.