Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has ruled out resigning from the frontbench after lashing out at his own government's conditional approval of a massive coal mine.
Mr Joyce on Wednesday said "the world has gone mad" after Environment Minister Greg Hunt approved the open-cut Shenhua Watermark mine in the Liverpool Plains, a prime farming region in north-west NSW.
Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said the deputy Nationals leader needed to "consider his position on the frontbench" following the outburst.
Mr Joyce ruled out resigning on Friday but stepped up his criticism of the decision, telling ABC radio he opposed the mine in his capacity as Agriculture Minister, not a local member.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott yesterday said Mr Joyce was entitled to speak out against the mine in his capacity as the local member for the seat of New England, where the mine will be built.
"You can do a lot of things as a local member," Mr Abbott said. "Local members are required from time-to-time to give voice to the feelings of their constituents, that's what local members do."
Leader of the government in the Senate, senator Eric Abetz, last week said cabinet members who had publicly declared their support for gay marriage – against the party's formal position on the issue – should resign.
Pressed about whether his criticism of the mine approval breached cabinet solidarity rules, Mr Joyce said: "I don't think [resigning] would achieve anything."
Mr Abbott declined to be drawn on Friday on whether Mr Joyce should be disciplined or resign from cabinet over his comments, saying only that he was "expressing some disappointment" over the government's approval.
Asked whether he had told Mr Joyce to "pull his head in", Mr Abbott said: "I've had a lot of conversations with all my ministers, that's what a good prime minister does."
Mr Joyce pulled out of an expected appearance with Mr Abbott in Grafton on Thursday, with both citing scheduling difficulties.
Mr Joyce denied suggestions he was publicly opposing the mine to shore up support in his electorate.
"I never agreed with this mine from the start. I've been quite open about that, I think everything I've said on the public record is that I don't agree with it."
Former independent MP Tony Windsor has said he is considering challenging Mr Joyce's seat of New England in light of the mine's conditional approval.
Mr Joyce has written to NSW Premier Mike Baird, who has the final power to approve the mine.
