It has long been evident to many that Barnaby Joyce’s time at the political trough has passed. In many respects, he should never have had time in the first place notwithstanding.

Again demonstrating his solipsistic narcissism, good old Barney has dropped his usual intellectual turd into the opinion pages. In the Australian today, Barnaby writes about the failure of the Federal Liberal Party – National Party coalition. Now, this is a really big target and if Barnaby actually had any chops or smarts, he could have written about fundamental policy differences or issues about evolving demographics and needs between rural and urban voters. Offered options. Offered comment. He is, after all, a backbencher and free of the usual Cabinet obligations.

Instead writes Barnaby:

Politics is business, not love. The ambition, avarice, plotting, subtext, private WhatsApp groups tearing each other to pieces and venting to the fourth estate would not bode well for any relationship. 

At least he is honest. Politics, for him at least, is about business. And what is business? Fundamentally about making a profit. So much for public service and representing constituents and making this a better place.

But what does the Barn do? He complains that the Nationals should have an extra seat in Cabinet. And presumably he wants to be that extra to get the ministerial salary supplement and all the other perquisites that come with it. Here is the rub:

The Nationals have 16 and the Liberals have 61 seats where 76 are needed to have a majority of the 151 in the House of Representatives. The Nationals, by this calculation, are entitled to five of 22 cabinet ministers, not four.

But for an unnoticeable paragraph hidden at the end of his 800 odd word turd spray is mention of difference in policy or ideology between Nationals and Liberals. And only slogans. He has plenty of time to think and offer options and alternatives. Yet nowhere is mention of what the Nationals could or would do better or different. Nowhere is mentioned of citizens and what they may want.

Barnaby. Go away. Just go. Time for you to enjoy your pension and open up a lobby shop like the rest of your former colleagues.

Stephen Spartacus blogs at Sparty’s Cast where a version of this piece also appears.