Barnaby Joyce has joined One Nation, continuing a political career defined by betrayal, ambition and self-interest, writesRoss Jones.

THE GRAVY TRAIN that is One Nation just got an extra baggage car.

On 8 November 2025,Barnaby Joyce, former Nationals Leader, Australias former Deputy PM and the countryshighest profile drunk, announced he had defected from the Nationals and joinedJames Ashbys One Nation.

The member for New Englands websiteclaimed:

Considered and serious are not words usually associated with Joyce.

Barnabys delusional huffing and puffing over Net Zero is once again front and centre, starting with the Murdoch gutter press (naturally) and culminating with ABCs 7.30.

Perfidious and intemperate are way more common.

Like it or not, New Englanders are now represented byPauline Hansons One Nation (PHON) until at least May 2028.

(Screenshot viaOneNation.org)

Thats not a typo. In October 2025, Hanson held a press conference toannounceshe intended to drop Pauline Hanson from the party name to better reflect the partys new alleged premier league status. As of mid-December 2025, Pauline Hansons name remained loud and proud on the partys website.

Joyce can look forward to a rosy future.

A couple of years as an MP with zero responsibility. Then hes planning to chuck that in for a NSW Senate seat for One Nation. Six years. Sweet.

Thats if things go well (see James Ashby, Pauline Hanson).

Right now, there is mood PHON is on the rise.

The pollslook good, showing PHON at 14% nationally, so for Barnaby, with his old powerbase in tatters and his eye on the NSW Senate, it must have been a no-brainer.

Additionally, he has his very good friend,Gina Rinehart. And with Gina around, life is sometimes wild!

Gina is also close to SenatorJacinta Pricerumoured to soon defect from Opposition LeaderSussan Leys leftard Liberal Party to join PHON and is wagyu cosy with the folks at PHON head office.

Independent Australia interviewed locals and politicians, and grilled One Nation's James Ashby ahead of his tilt for the Queensland seat of Keppel.

It is a circle familiar with the luxury interior of Ginas private jet.

This nest of traitors Ashby betrayedPeter Slipper, Joyce betrayed his wife, Price betrayed First Nations people, Hanson, well, talk with former One Nation office bearers will be the Entente Terrible of 2026.

Its unclear whether Barnaby writes his own media releases, but his resignation statement reads like PHONglish.

This, for instance:

Pure PHON.

Despite the currently auspicious poll omens, two years is a long time in politics.

The PHON member for New England has a track record of shooting close to the foot, so realistically, anything could happen.

Joyce is going to have until May 2028 as a PHON MP, surrounded by a lot of angry locals who worked for and donated heavily to his last election campaign as a National. Barnabys election team was vast, with some of their pockets very deep.

All of New England is now PHON land and not everyones happy about it. Last time around in 2025, Joyce got 52%, while PHONsBrent Larkhamgot 11,387 votes. That was nearly 10%, so theyre happy.

Barnaby Joyce jumps on the nuclear energy bandwagon but gets his facts wrong.

The other 90%,not so much.

Comfortingly, Joyce said he would apologise to those hes hurt.

Barnabys likely to be under a bit of pressure over the next two years. Not from his constituents right now, they are low priority but from pretty much everywhere else.

As the only lower house PHON MP, Barnaby will be denied much of the perk-related fun of Parliament.

That alone would drive anyone to drink.

Things to look for in the New Year:

• Will Price jump ship to PHON? While many in the Liberal Party would be happy to see her go, many in PHON would be unhappy to see her arrive.
• Will Barnaby enter Parliament in a burqua?

Ross Jonesis IA's investigations editor and the author of 'Ashbygate: The Plot to Destroy Australia's Speaker'.

Related Articles

• CARTOONS: Mark David is putting down new roots
• CARTOONS: Barnaby Joyce is turning red over renewables
• CARTOONS: Barnaby Joyce's net-zero nonsense not helping
• Barnabys lunatic crusade ofNet Zero relevance
• EDITORIAL: Barnabys lunatic crusade ofNet Zero relevance