ABC Radio AM Interview

TONY EASTLEY: There were great hopes that the amalgamation of the Liberal and National parties would provide the boost that was needed to unseat Labor.

But the LNP fell short of expectations. 

The Nationals Senator, Barnaby Joyce says the result will put pressure on the new party. But he told me it would be dangerous and wrong to try and dump it.

Were you surprised by the way it's turned out?

BARNABY JOYCE: Yeah, a little bit surprised, to be honest. I always thought it would be a hung Parliament was the first probability; Labor winning was the second, LNP winning outright, I thought, was a big ask. 

You've got to keep yourself motivated, so I was, you know, hoping that we could get within striking distance with the use of some other Independents. That hasn't happened. 

The Labor Party say they won this on the economy. I find that an incredible paradox. Because they have been disastrous for the economy, and I am… 

TONY EASTLEY: You're talking on a state level here? 

BARNABY JOYCE: Oh yeah, on both a state and a federal level. How, if this trajectory of debt goes on, how on earth are we ever going to repay it? And so that's my takeaway message from this, but you know, congratulations to Anna Bligh. 

But not so much to Anna Bligh, but to those who have won their seat, and that's a marvellous thing about a democracy. We'll wake up when you've got this program on and no-one will be killed, world will go on, and we've just got to work out, you know, how we do a better job. 

TONY EASTLEY: I was here three years ago; I spoke to Lawrence Springborg after he was defeated, and he was ready to give away politics then. He bounced back, he formed the LNP against a great deal of opposition. Is there life in the LNP after this election? 

BARNABY JOYCE: Well, you know, I think that, you know, the LNP, we've got to give it its due. It's winning seats; it didn't lose seats, it's won seats. It's gone ahead, not backwards. 

And you know, that's the direction you have to go. It was always a big ask to think that you could double the number of seats you had in one election, and that's what was required. 

TONY EASTLEY: So the old two-party system wouldn't have done any better, you don't think?

BARNABY JOYCE: I don't think so, in Queensland. At a federal level the Coalition works very well; Queensland, if we had gone to this election with the same arrangement as the last one, we wouldn't be getting any seats. 

In fact no-one would bother going out for the night; you'd watch a movie instead, because you'd know what the result would be. 

TONY EASTLEY: Are there forces out there…

BARNABY JOYCE: yes.

TONY EASTLEY: …within the conservative party, that would like to see the LNP suffer as a result of this election?

BARNABY JOYCE: Yes there are, and I think that's, you know, and the fruits of that will be ashes in people's mouths. Because that'll go through to a federal election. 

You know, what you start if you do that is some sort of internecine war. You know, there's no logic in that whatsoever.

TONY EASTLEY: Barnaby Joyce, thanks for joining us on AM.

BARNABY JOYCE: You're welcome.