Rural women say ‘astounding’ return of Barnaby Joyce proves Nationals ‘not listening’

Prominent rural women have blasted the Nationals for reinstating Barnaby Joyce to the leadership, saying the return of the ousted MP shows the party is “not listening” to regional women.

Joyce, who successfully toppled Michael McCormack in a leadership spill on Monday, subsequently claimed he was a “better person” following three years on the backbench when he had reflected on his “effect on others”.

The outspoken MP, who will be sworn in as deputy prime minister on Tuesday, resigned in 2018 after a sexual harassment allegation was made against him and following revelations of a long-running affair with his former media adviser, Vikki Campion.

Joyce maintains the sexual harassment allegation by prominent rural woman Catherine Marriott was “spurious and defamatory”. An eight-month investigation by the NSW Nationals was unable to reach a conclusion.

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Nationals MPs voted to reinstate Joyce as leader despite two female Nationals MPs – Michelle Landry and Anne Webster – raising concerns about how women would respond to his rehabilitation to the leadership.

The founding member of Australian Women in Agriculture, Alana Johnson, told Guardian Australia it was “astounding” the party had voted to reinstate Joyce given his standing among women and the misgivings among female MPs.

“The astounding thing is that the National party is obviously just not listening, otherwise they would never have chosen Barnaby to be the leader again,” Johnson said.

Johnson said Joyce was one of many in the parliamentary party trapped in a “male culture of politics” dominated by “power plays between the boys”. There was no indication the party was committed to better representation of women, she said.

“They just can’t see their way out of it because they are so entrenched in it. They don’t get that they are not listening, that this is about representation, and representation is about listening to their constituents.”

The leader of the Nationals in WA, Mia Davies, said she was “disappointed” the federal party had voted to support Joyce. She said the state branch had been trying to demonstrate the organisation was “a safe place for women to put their hand up and participate and be involved”.

“Myself and others within the party have gone to great lengths to try and address some of the concerns we see across political parties, not just at a state level but at a federal level,” Davies, who is a friend of Marriott’s, said.

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“I will continue to do that. It will be a decision for voters come the federal election as to whether or not it has been the right decision. I expressed my disappointment today, and that is genuine. I had a good working relationship with Michael McCormack and I am disappointed the party thought they needed to change leaders. It shows they are focused on internal matters rather than the people of regional Australia.”

The federal president of the party, Kay Hull, said Joyce was a “polarising” figure and acknowledged that “some women” would be disappointed.

“He has a very strong personality,” Hull told the ABC.

“He can be polarising, very polarising. You can be a lover of Barnaby Joyce or a serious detractor. He has always been polarising. He’s never been any different in that respect.

“Some women may be disappointed but … the only women that will be voting or not voting for Barnaby Joyce will be the women of New England.”

Before the party room ballot, Webster, the MP for the seat of Mallee, said female voters would not welcome Joyce’s return.

“I’ve had people write to me about this of course and some would be very unimpressed,” she told the ABC. “They are issues for Barnaby Joyce should a change occur, that would be for him to sort through.”

Landry, who represents the Queensland seat of Capricornia, told news.com.au that some women would be “unhappy” with Joyce as leader.

Sue Middleton, from the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal, said on Twitter that the allegation made against Joyce by Marriott “was still not resolved”.

When asked about the incident on Monday, Joyce said he had quit the leader’s position because he had needed to “clear the air”.

“I will try, always, to be the better person. I acknowledge my faults. I resigned, I’ve spent three years on the backbench. I don’t walk away from making sure that I can be a better person to do a better job,” Joyce said.

“I don’t walk away from the fact that you have to have time to consider, not only the effect on yourself, but more importantly, the effect on others. I’ve done that. I don’t want to dwell on the personal, except to say – hopefully one learns from their mistakes and makes a better person of themselves.”

The federal Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, said the return of Joyce was another example of the government failing to “address gender issues”. “Women will make their views very clear at the next election”, he said.