Barnaby Joyce issues a warning to Prime Minister Scott Morrison as his allies threaten to vote AGAINST the government as payback for promoting his leadership rival's supporters
- Mr Joyce warned against promoting those who backed Michael McCormack
- Fellow Nationals MPs are prepared to vote against government legislation
- Mr Joyce failed in his challenge to Mr McCormack for the Nationals leadership
Barnaby Joyce has issued a warning to the prime minister over the promotion of only those who backed Nationals leader Michael McCormack in the recent attempted coup, it has been reported.
Mr Joyce told Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday that such a move was not smart and there would be a corner of his supporters in federal parliament's lower house who were aware they held the balance of power, The Australian reports.
Fellow National MPs George Christensen and Llew O'Brien are prepared to vote against government legislation as payback for Mr McCormack's opponents being left out of the cabinet.
Barnaby Joyce (pictured with his girlfriend Vikki Campion and their son Sebastian) has issued a warning to the prime minister over the promotion of only those who backed Nationals leader Michael McCormack
Mr Joyce failed to overthrow Mr McCormack (pictured) on Tuesday after a spill triggered a vote during a meeting in Canberra
'You can't take my vote for granted... I'll be looking at everything,' Mr O'Brien told the newspaper.
Mr Joyce failed to overthrow Mr McCormack on Tuesday after a spill triggered a vote during a meeting in Canberra.
Former resources minister Matt Canavan quit the cabinet to back Mr Joyce and has not been returned.
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Key allies of Mr McCormack were promoted, including Mark Coulton and Andrew Gee.
Mr Joyce also spoke out against a bid to change National Party rules to prevent leaders being knifed by requiring two-thirds of the party room's agreement to allow a leadership spill.
'I am fervently opposed to the mooted change to diminish access to senators and members determining their leader,' he wrote in an opinion piece for The Australian.
'I am against it because its purpose is to curtail access to a vote, which is obviously a removal of a democratic attribute of our party.'
Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured, left) greeted embattled Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack (right) at an Ecumenical Mass after the leadership spill on Tuesday
