Barnaby Joyce (17 April 1967-) was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from 18 February 2016, succeeding Warren Truss. Joyce was also the leader of the National Party of Australia, and he was forced to step down as Deputy PM due to holding New Zealander citizenship by descent. In 2018, he resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and National Party leader as the result of a sex scandal with a staffer and a sexual harassment allegation.
Biography[]
Barnaby Joyce was born in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia on 17 April 1967, and he attended the University of New England. He eventually opened his own accountancy firm in St. George, Queensland, and he was elected as a Senator for Queensland in the 2004 election, serving as a National Party of Australia member. In 2008, he became the party's senate leader, and he crossed the floor nineteen times during John Howard's government. In 2013, he transferred to the House of Representatives, winning the Division of New England in New South Wales. In 2013, he became Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Agriculture Minister, and he served as Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources under Malcolm Turnbull from 2015. In 2016, he became the new party leader of the National Party, leading to him also becoming Deputy Prime Minister. On 14 August 2017, he announced that he might hold New Zealander citizenship by descent, and he was forced to resign from all of his ministries and positions on 27 October 2017. However, he was allowed to resume his membership of the Parliament for New England on 2 December 2017. On 22 February 2018, he announced his resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and National Party leader following scandals involving an affair with a staffer and a sexual harassment allegation.