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ESSENTIALS

— Joyce tells our podcast that he misses Nats, Libs can’t win and One Nation is no longer “fringe”

— Albanese dunks Chalmers at ACCI gala dinner

— Duty of care inquiry likely, PM pushing against execution streaming

— One Nation to introduce bill demanding parliament staffing reforms

THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW

BARNABY JOYCE — “NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY, THEY’LL DO A DEAL”

One Nation’s de facto deputy leader Barnaby Joyce — notwithstanding rushing off mid-interview to vote on his own illicit tobacco amendment — joined Amanda Copp in the POLITICO office for the Canberra Playbook podcast.

He’s certain the Liberals can’t win — anything — without One Nation.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
You spoke at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry conference; has One Nation gone mainstream?

We don’t want to be characterized as some sort of you know crazy fringe group, and we’re not. We’ve got much more business experience than any other party in the building. Pauline [Hanson], of course, being a small business person as a single mother running her own fish and chip shop, myself as an accountant. David Farley as CEO of a range of large companies, and even Tyron Whitten running a construction company with about 1,100 employees. That’s not bad when you’ve only got six in the parliament.

Do you think that the Liberals can win without One Nation in the Victorian state election?

No. Because politics change. In the past they talked about the broad church. Well, the broad church has no parishioners. What we have now is socialism and conservatism, and that’s where the votes are. There is no prospect of a Liberal Party government on current polling winning without people who have the capacity to get blue collar votes and other regional votes, and that’s One Nation. The Tories can’t get the votes in blue collar areas.

Would you do a deal with the [Liberal-National] Coalition to form government in Victoria?

With confidence and supply. We don’t want to be in coalition with the Coalition, but we want to assist in removing socialism.

What about the federal election?

Same deal.

If the Coalition believes that they can somehow do something miraculous and arrive there without working with One Nation, then they’re having themselves on.

I know how politicians work. Do not stand between a politician and the blue carpet, which is the ministerial wing — they will run you over. They will sell your mother into white slavery with a smile on their face to become a minister. So you can bet your bottom dollar: No matter what they say, they’ll do a deal.

Do you ever miss the Nats?

Yeah, of course. I love the members. Leaving a political party is like leaving a marriage. It’s traumatic, and to say otherwise would be lying.

But that relationship had come to an end: It was the correct decision, 100%. Because now I have greater effect. You only have one life, and I’m having a lot more effect with it.

The big legislation this week is the digital duty of care. Will you negotiate?

Well, it’s just crazy. This is just censorship. The minister has the capacity to decide whether something is offensive and whether it can be heard.

If you had a bill that says there will be no livestreaming of executions, I don’t think anyone in the parliament wouldn’t vote for it. It would scream through. But they haven’t given that, have they?

Read the full transcript of Barnaby Joyce’s POLITICO interview.

Listen to the podcast version.

DRIVING THE DAY

ALBO DUNKS CHALMERS, AS CHALMERS GOES BURNHAM-STYLE: While Jim Chalmers was delivering the Bernie Fraser oration, Anthony Albanese was busy claiming credit for the decision to make the Australian Taxation Office keep accepting credit card payments.

The prime minister went out of his way to talk about the valuable relationship he has with ACCI CEO Andrew McKellar, such that when McKellar text him last Thursday to sort the ATO mess, Albanese promised a result within 24 hours (the news was delivered 23 hours later).

The consensus at Playbook’s table: He dunked Chalmers hard.

The treasurer meanwhile is taking aim at a One Nation weak spot — governing: Chalmers is sharpening attacks on the right-wing nationalist party’s remaining weakness.

“Hoping the far right goes away or implodes again is not actually a strategy,” Chalmers said, promising more “courage and ambition,” to his progressive Australia Institute audience.

Still, there’s some deflecting on the fundamentals of Australia’s economy — which include 4% inflation, rising interest rates and stalled productivity growth, alongside low unemployment.

Instead of any of that putting Australia at recession risk, Chalmers thinks rather that “endless negativity” and “algorithmic rage bait” is creating a “self-fulfilling prophecy” towards recession.

It’s time to drop the “polite” public commentary about the Reserve Bank of Australia, the bank’s former Governor Bernie Fraser advised Chalmers, recalling some brutal exchanges with then-Treasurer Paul Keating in the 1990s. Read Ryan Heath’s report on the speech.

SNAP INQUIRY FOR DUTY OF CARE BILL LIKELY

Shadow Communications Minister Sarah Henderson has given notice for a motion to set up an inquiry into Labor’s proposed digital duty of care bill that would impose new requirements on social media platforms to protect users against serious harms. Henderson told POLITICO she is “very hopeful there will be an agreement” including the Greens signing up to an inquiry, to report by Nov. 24, during the final 2026 parliament sitting week.

Good reason to look: The Greens are keeping their options open. Leader David Shoebridge said a decision could come today but will definitely come by Thursday.

Shoebridge said that in a “perfect world,” the bill will pass by the end of the year — so it’s scrutiny, not obstruction the minor party is after. The Greens want to add a right for individuals to sue social media companies for breaches.

COPYRIGHT FIGHT ROLLS ON

On Tuesday evening, we reported a YouGov poll finding Australians would support copyright changes if it helps creators get paid and the alternative is freeriding artificial intelligence models training overseas — but rightsholders argue this is a false choice.

The leader and deputy leader of parliament’s AI committee also wrote to the prime minister warning that “current copyright arrangements are not facilitating licensing deals for Australian culture and content.”

Rightsholders and crossbench parties sniffed a major-party deal to grant AI companies’ wishes and ram through an opt-out model, which would allow AI training on copyrighted material.

PMO writes letter to PM: David Pocock, independent senator on the committee, has complained that he couldn’t get his dissenting comments into the letter, which he described as a “major party stitch up.”

“When I actually loaded the letter up onto my computer, there’s a whole bunch of track changes from the PM’s office,” he said. “So this is meant to be a letter from the committee, but clearly has been heavily vetted by the Prime Minister’s Office.”

Stitch-up confirmed: The Labor chair of the committee, Jo Briskey, confirmed PMO involvement: “There was engagement right across the parliament.”

Jonno Duniam, the deputy chair, also “worked with his side, the opposition,” she added.

Duniam later told News24 that he wrote the letter and that other political staff were involved, including people in the government.

PM responds: Albanese told ABC TV that changes might include further protections for the creative sector in relation to scraping of their content that is already occurring.

“We want to make sure they have control over what is their intellectual property, and if it is used, that there is proper payment for it,” Albanese said.

SHOULD BE DRIVING THE DAY — CALLS TO STONE CABINET MEMBERS

A Liberal frontbencher is calling for members of Cabinet to be “stoned in the square.”

Will Opposition Leader Angus Taylor face questions on the future of Angie Bell after the shadow sports minister said Albanese and Small Business Minister Anne Aly should be “stoned in the square” during a debate on the ATO’s credit card ban?

Aly, the first Muslim woman to sit in Australia’s cabinet, said she’d received 19 death threats on social media this week — and has previously received threats using that exact language about stoning.

“We are a country that proudly stands … against regimes that use brutal methods like stoning against women,”Aly said in this social media post. “This is not just something that we should just turn away from. It is racist. It is misogynistic and it should never have been said.”

BY THE NUMBERS

9%: The Commonwealth’s starting pay offer for public servants, over the three years from March 2027 (by year it’s 3.2%, 3% and 2.8%).

11.2%: What public servants agreed to in 2023.

15%: What the Community and Public Sector Union asked for this time around. It’s the biggest player in negotiations, with roughly 48,000 members nationally.

24%: What the Australian Services Union asked for on behalf of Tax Office members. It’s a much smaller player, but vocal and organized.

0%: Chance of the commission agreeing to those union claims. The chances of a fractional increase and some sweeteners to incentivize a pre-Christmas deal are much higher — this was the successful play last time.

4 months: The bargaining time left before the enterprise agreement runs out.

STATE OF THE NATION

GAS ON MENU AT PRESS CLUB — KING INTRODUCES RESERVE BILL: Resources Minister Madeleine King is introducing the government’s gas reservation bill that would require up to 20% of export volumes be kept for local consumption.

Parliament in charge, not King: Ministerial discretion will be limited, and the scheme more transparent than previous drafts; states and territories will be consulted about domestic supply obligation changes.

A tax on both their houses: The Greens, Pocock and other crossbenchers want a gas tax not a reservation scheme. King rules it out because she thinks it would mess up two-way trade with Asian countries: “Our exports of gas and coal support the energy security of Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, while their refining of liquid fuels like petrol, diesel and aviation fuel keep Australians moving.”

PARTY ROOM

LIBERAL USE OF SWEAR WORDS

We’re not pearl-clutchers here at Playbook, but we’ve noticed Coalition members of parliament are using foul language to make their point recently. Was it because “Today Show” host Karl Stefanovic praised Taylor for labeling the PM “an arrogant prick” in parliament back in May?

Since then: Taylor’s not the only potty-mouthed Liberal MP — though his selfie video this week, declaring he has “the shits” with Labor, might be the weirdest. See also Andrew Bragg here, Dan Tehan here and Garth Hamilton here.

Playbook spies tell us: It’s an order from up high to counter Pauline Hanson’s authenticity.

Too classy for that: If Jane Hume was told to hit the Coalition’s rumored swear quota, then she’s wisely not playing ball. “Whiskey, tango, foxtrot,” the deputy Liberal leader said in this social media post, rather than the more colorful “what the …”.

That’s because: Swearing only works if it doesn’t seem forced. Labor MP Dan Repacholi racked up three s-bombs, two f-bombs and a “prick” when he sat down with Playbook’s Finn McHugh last month. But that’s on brand for a straight-talking former coal miner.

ONE NATION — JOYCE’S WIFE TAKES UP ROLE: Vikki Campion, a News Corp columnist and wife of Joyce, the federal One Nation MP, is now a part time media adviser working on the NSW election, The Guardian reported.

“Vikki has an incredibly good political analysis,” Joyce told Playbook.

LINES ON FRYDENBERG TIGHTENED — MPs TELL HIM TO GET ELECTED: Coalition MPs are having difficulty squaring how to be supportive of former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, with the fact that talking about a potential savior outside parliament is hurting current leader Taylor’s slimming chances of pulling off the comeback himself. Their new solution: Tell Josh to run for parliament first.

Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan: “Well, if Josh decides to enter the fray again, obviously he would have to win preselection for the seat of Kooyong, and he’d have to defeat the sitting member, Monique Ryan. I think the parliamentary team would be a lot stronger if Josh were in parliament.”

Keeping coy: Speaking to 730 last night, in yet another landmark interview, Frydenberg denied that he was making trouble for Taylor and insisted that “it’s always a good time to be talking about policy reform.”

“In some people’s minds, it’s never a good time for someone like me to be putting out a book,” he said.

QUESTION TIME

OVERHEARD IN QT

Question time got a little rowdy Tuesday, culminating in the ejection of Nationals MP and Deputy Manager of Opposition Business Kevin Hogan for frivolous points order. Overall, QT was a continuation of the Coalition’s strategy of targeting Aly (instead of Chalmers) with questions about credit cards and trusts.

Chalmers took one question anyway and bristled “I haven’t got the call yet, genius,” before withdrawing his description of Liberal MP Aaron Violi as a genius.

But here’s what you wouldn’t haven’t picked up in the broadcast:

— A Dorothy Dixer from MP Gordon Reid (who moonlights as an emergency room doctor) to Health Minister Mark Butler about Medicare urgent care clinics prompted Nationals MP for Lyne Alison Penfold to invite Butler to come to Taree promising, “I’ll give you a good time.” This prompted chuckles from the Coalition.

— Communications Minister Anika Wells gave an impassioned defense of sock puppet accounts, contained in Labor’s proposed digital duty of care bill, as a means for researchers to test social media companies’ responses on eating disorder content. Liberal MP Alex Hawke labeled it “a false argument.”

GREENS — EXPOSED ON UKRAINE: Shoebridge got a slap-down in Senate question time Tuesday, from Foreign Minister and Government Senate Leader Penny Wong, after asking, “Will you criticize a single thing that Australia’s largest ally does?” and going on to complain that the U.S. is buying “Russian diesel that will fund the Russian war machine in the illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

That is, er, the same illegal invasion that Shoebridge thinks Australian shouldn’t financially support Ukraine over. Shoebridge says that the party opposes weapons transfers and that military aid would require U.N. Security Council approval, where Russia can veto it.

Greens Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young said Ukrainians can’t “be left fending for themselves.” Hanson-Young said of her leader’s original comments: “I’ve had a discussion with David about this — I think he would have put it differently if he was asked that question again.”

How do the Australian Greens compare? Greens parties split sharply over whether to send Ukraine weapons. Greens in Germany, France, the U.K. and Canada support substantial military or security assistance. U.S. Greens ruled out U.S. arms for Ukraine.

VAD AS HELL: One Nation amendments rarely attract attention, but one Tuesday from Sen. Malcolm Roberts gives insight into how the Senate will approach the issue of telehealth for voluntary assisted dying. Roberts wanted to ensure aged care providers could opt out of providing VAD to their residents.

Labor had a conscience vote: But only Sen. Raff Ciccone backed Roberts’ failed amendment. The Liberals who voted against it were: Jane Hume, Anne Ruston, Andrew Bragg, Maria Kovacic and Richard Colbeck.

CANBERRA MEETS WORLD

ALBO THROWS DOWN GAUNTLET ON EU TRADE DEAL: Speaking at the ACCI gala dinner, Albanese said he found Coalition and Greens skepticism of the deal “astonishing,” calling it “the absolute no-brainer” version of a trade deal.

“You cannot say you support Australian jobs and industry and market economics” and vote against the deal, he said.

PM JOINS EXECUTION CONDEMNATION: The prime minister has joined the chorus of condemnation in Australia about the possible livestreaming of an execution by the U.S. government and is searching for options to block it.

“We should do whatever we can to stop that occurring,” he said Tuesday. “I do not know why anybody would want themselves to watch such an event, let alone, sit back and allow potentially kids” to watch.

When ABC host Patricia Karvelas noted the eSafety Commissioner lacked powers to block it before the stream starts, Albanese said “It is difficult — we will do whatever we can.”

TRUMP ICC SANCTIONS PUSHBACK: Australia was late to the party but has added its name to a joint statement opposing Trump administration sanctions against the International Criminal Court, joining Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and the U.K. The statement is four days old.

SENATORS JOIN THE IPU PARTY: Speaker Milton Dick may have won the leadership of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on a shoestring campaign, but his Senate colleagues were showing their support in other ways: by spending $164,000 on travel to Geneva and Istanbul for IPU meetings in the 2025-26 financial year, documents tabled in the Senate show.

The IPU dates back to the 19th century and is a global organization of 184 member parliaments (and yes, there are some dodgy members) Sens. Deborah O’Neill, Andrew McLachlan, Carol Brown, Tammy Tyrrell and MPs Basem Abdo and Sharon Claydon attended one or both trips.

AGENDA ASSISTANT

Veterans to march on Parliament House: Around 200 aging veterans, family members and carers are set will march on Parliament House regarding recognition of the service by Rifle Company Butterworth. 10:30 a.m., Federation Mall front lawns.

Soccer with Big Issue: The magazine’s annual soccer fundraising competition takes place 6:30 a.m. at parliament, featuring two politicians teams (and a very unfit Playbook author Finn McHugh turning out for the journalists). The event promotes Big Issue’s street soccer program for people suffering homelessness.

COMMUNITY CORNER

MOVES AND APPOINTMENTS

McKinnon’s Leigh O’Neill is joining Australian Red Cross as CEO on Feb. 1, 2027.

BIRTHDAYS

Greens Sen. Jordon Steele-John.

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Barnaby Joyce: Liberals can’t win anything without One Nation