Barnaby Joyce Has Quit

After weeks of salacious accusations as well as actual, incriminating accusations, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has announced he will formally resign as deputy PM and Nationals leader at Monday’s party room meeting.

"It’s incredibly important that there be a circuit-breaker, not just for the parliament, but more importantly, a circuit-breaker for Vikki, for my unborn child, my daughters and for Nat," he told reporters at a Canberra press conference. "This current cacophony of issues has to be put aside. and I think it’s my responsibility to do my bit to make sure that happens."

Of course by "Vikki," he means his staffer, Vikki Campion, with whom he admits to having an extramarital affair—then allegedly creating a new and extremely well-paid job for her in a colleague’s office.

These were the main instruments of Joyce's undoing, but in recent weeks he has also been accused of sexual harassment by an unnamed West Australian woman. Joyce has said he'd been made only "indirectly aware" of the accusation, but the National Party confirmed that a formal complaint had been made.

At the 2 PM conclusion of the press conference, the NSW Nationals released a statement via Twitter, thanking Joyce for his service. It describes him as a "staunch and uncompromising advocate for all regional Australians."