stepped down as leader of the National Party in February 2018 Barnaby Joyce, who had led the National Party since replacing
Warren Truss in February 2016, announced on 23 February 2018 that he would resign as party leader during a party room meeting on 26 February. His resignation followed scandals involving an affair with a former staffer and a sexual harassment allegation. Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull, who was on a
state visit to the United States at the time, appointed Regional Development Minister
John McVeigh, from the Liberal branch of the
Liberal National Party of Queensland, to take on Joyce's
cabinet role as Acting
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Prior to the events of February 2018, Joyce was viewed as a charismatic leader, who had been re-elected as the member for
New England with a substantial and increased majority in
a December 2017 by-election. He maintained the support of a majority of his party members even as scandals unfolded, with some exceptions including
the party's Western Australian branch and
Andrew Broad. Under the
Coalition agreement between the
Liberal and National Parties, the Nationals' leader serves as deputy prime minister in a Coalition government. Therefore, the decision of National Party members would determine who succeeded Joyce as deputy PM. Following the
2016 election, sixteen National Party MPs sat in the
Australian House of Representatives (including six from the Queensland Liberal National Party, and Joyce himself as a
backbencher since his announcement). Some of the highest-profile National Party parliamentarians, namely deputy leader
Bridget McKenzie and Resources Minister
Matt Canavan, sit in the
Senate; no senator has served as deputy prime minister in the history of the position. ==Candidates==