Joyce, 50, whose National Party rules alongside Turnbull's Liberals, admitted last week to having an affair with his 33-year-old media adviser, who is pregnant with their child. Turnbull, head of the Liberal Party, acknowledged that he was powerless to remove Joyce, who holds the deputy position as leader of smaller National Party on which he relies to govern. Joyce hit back in a defiant press conference in Canberra Friday, refusing to resign and accusing Turnbull of interfering with internal National Party affairs. The Labor opposition has capitalised on the ructions, with leader Bill Shorten on Friday calling for Turnbull to sack Joyce. It is a full-blown political crisis," Shorten told reporters, adding that the spat showed neither man was "fit for the high office they currently hold".

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 16, 2018 06:00 UTC