Former Nationals leader and ex-deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has officially joined Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, confirming his defection on Monday. Joyce will sit as a One Nation MP for the remainder of his term and will lead the party's New South Wales Senate ticket at the next federal election.
In a joint radio interview with Hanson in Tamworth, Joyce said he was 'philosophically aligned' with One Nation and credited Hanson with driving the political agenda, including causing the Liberals and Nationals to abandon their net zero emissions target. Hanson said she was 'really proud' to have recruited Joyce, citing his experience as deputy prime minister and senior minister.
Joyce's move had been anticipated for weeks after a bitter fallout with the Nationals, particularly with leader David Littleproud, who removed Joyce from the frontbench after sidelining him during the 2025 election campaign. Joyce teased the defection during parliament's final sitting week, sharing a meal in Hanson's office before formally quitting the Nationals.
Littleproud described the move as 'disappointing', stating that the Nationals supported Joyce through difficult times and that he had chosen to join a 'party of protest' that achieves nothing beyond headlines. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the defection showed the Coalition was becoming a 'pale imitation of One Nation' and was hopelessly divided.
One Nation's support has risen in opinion polls since the May election, with the latest Resolve poll showing its vote in NSW at 17%, up from 6% in May. If Joyce wins a Senate seat at the next election due in 2028, it would guarantee him at least another six years in federal parliament.
