Joyce's Nationals ministry to be sworn in
Scott Morrison is set to make his first public appearance alongside Barnaby Joyce since his return as deputy prime minister when new Nationals ministers are sworn in.
The prime minister was allowed to leave The Lodge on Thursday night after spending a tumultuous two weeks in politics quarantining at his official residence in Canberra.
The 14-day spell included Mr Joyce replacing Michael McCormack as Nationals leader during a partyroom spill last week.
Mr Joyce's frontbench picks will officially be sworn in on Friday afternoon at a Government House ceremony.
Bridget McKenzie is returning to cabinet less than 18 months after quitting during the so-called sports rorts saga.
Little-known NSW MP Andrew Gee will be elevated to cabinet as the veterans' affairs minister with Darren Chester dumped.
Mr Gee takes over at a crucial time with a royal commission into veteran suicide about to get underway.
Mr Joyce also rewarded supporter David Gillespie with a promotion to the outer ministry, while Keith Pitt's resources portfolio has been dumped from cabinet.
Wounds from the Nationals' turmoil remain open with the debate about climate change policy cited as a crucial sticking point with the Liberals.
The prime minister and his deputy are set to further thrash out a new coalition agreement in face-to-face talks.
Mr Chester penned an opinion piece pleading with the Nationals to modernise their attitudes to reducing carbon emissions.
"If the more hard line Nationals MPs and senators lock into a climate denial agenda, they can wave goodbye to the generation of voters who will decide the future of Australia," he wrote in the Herald-Sun.
While it is the second time Mr Joyce has dumped Mr Chester from cabinet, the Victorian MP insists the battle should be between 1950 and 2050 rather than the two men.
Malcolm Turnbull, who governed alongside Mr Joyce, warned his return could make it impossible for the government to move towards the stance of key allies on climate.
"Barnaby is clearly determined to do everything he can to prevent Australia making a commitment to get to net zero emissions by 2050," Mr Turnbull told the ABC.
He said it was coal-hugging, climate-denying madness for the coalition to act irresponsibly on the global stage.
"It is just populist clap-trap that you are getting in this right-wing media bubble."
