With friends like these - the straw that broke the back of Barnaby

It was five little words from Barnaby Joyce's supposed friend David Littleproud that proved the kiss of death. "Put up or shut up" said the National Party new boy when commenting on another round of rumours about his party leader.
And over in West Australia a woman reacted to the taunt. As the Owl understands it, the party member and pal of WA National leader Mia Davies who had remained silent for several years came forward with what she said were details of sexual harassment. Ms Davies was moved to forward the complaint to the federal party president Larry Anthony and for good measure sent Barnaby a message saying he had lost the support of her branch.
This expansion of the story in to the #MeToo mainstream was too much for a majority of the 20 National Party caucus members in Canberra. They determined that the time for Barnaby's retirement as Deputy Prime Minister had come.
And so this afternoon it came to pass.
Now David Littleproud, a first-term MP who enjoyed a meteoric rise in the Turnbull government, being appointed agriculture minister at Joyce's insistence back in December, is even being talked about as a possible leadership successor.
With friends like him ...
Perhaps we should just singalong with Roy Orbison.


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