It snowed in Canberra yesterday, so
every pundit’s been talking about the frosty relations between the
Liberal Party and the Nationals, cold snaps and freezing people out.
Yes, terrible puns, so it’s fortunate that former minister, federal MP
and Queensland Nationals president Bruce Scott came along with another
set of similes on AM this morning.

In
Question Time in the Reps yesterday a certain Liberal – this is
probably a terrible breach of etiquette, but from where I was sitting
it sounded like a former minister from a far flung rural constituency
known for his own idiosyncrasies – interjected about “Barnyard.”

It
wasn’t a bad line – and it may have struck something subliminal with
Scott, because his message this morning had a barnyard theme. Scott
said the Coalition strife was simply a matter of the old bulls versus
the new. Something that always happens at this time of year. Nudge,
nudge.

Er, right, Bruce. You mean things for the Government are getting absolutely f*cked?

The Australian’s
editorial today was much better at spelling things out: “Since his
election last year Senator Joyce has acted as if he was the only person
standing between country Queensland and ruin. As a way of generating
media coverage for a junior member of the minor party in the ruling
coalition, this is an excellent plan.”

Exactly. It should have
also added that Joyce – and his NSW National Senate colleague Fiona
Nash – were both unexpectedly elected.

The Age’seditorial
observes, too: “Senator Joyce’s election spared former party leader
John Anderson’s blushes over a pledge to step down if the party lost
seats. It did in the lower house, where the Nationals have 13 MPs, half
their peak of 25 in 1975.”

There’s a battle going on, but it’s a
battle for the survival of the Nationals. Right now, they need to
assert themselves. The Liberals – quite rightly – don’t think that
their junior partners are doing much for the Coalition. Unfortunately,
though, there wouldn’t be a Coalition without them. Having stroppy Nats
mightn’t make life easy – but it’s better for the Government than more
Peter Andrens or Tony Windsors or equivalent independents in the Senate.