Coalition Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce meet to resolve row Attempt to defuse tension comes as Liberal senator Ian Macdonald tells ABC Joyce should resign to the backbench Barnaby Joyce is said to have expressed to Malcolm Turnbull his concern at the forcefulness of the prime minister’s comments on Thursday. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/EPABarnaby Joyce and Malcolm Turnbull have met face-to-face in Sydney in an attempt to resolve the damaging public crisis engulfing the Coalition. Macdonald said that by staying on as deputy prime minister, Joyce was giving Bill Shorten a “free ride into the Lodge”. “He and I both know that having Shorten as prime minister would be disastrous for Australia,” Macdonald told the ABC. Turnbull could remove Joyce from the position of deputy prime minister by ending the Coalition between Liberals and Nationals.

Source: The Guardian February 17, 2018 00:22 UTC