New England MP Barnaby Joyce has joined One Nation and unveiled his new right-wing populist manifesto, just over a week after resigning from the National Party.
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"There has been no more considered and serious decision than the one I make today to join One Nation," Mr Joyce posted to social media on Monday.
"I am firmly of the view which I have considered over a long period of time that the best choice before me is to stand for One Nation as a senator for NSW.
"I will let the voters be the ultimate arbiter of that decision."
In the meantime, the former deputy prime minister will sit in the Parliament as One Nation's only lower house MP.
Mr Joyce outlined his new policy focus, starting with energy - a key sticking point in his relationship with the Coalition - and broadening out to cover immigration, race, cultural and family policy.
"We have fallen for the fallacy that you can have divergent objectives within a population but a common purpose as a nation ... We [have] succumbed to being embarrassed about who we are," he said.
"A nation can have multiple faiths, race and colour but not multiple cultures. Australia must bind together under an Australian culture with a common goal to prevail in an increasingly uncertain world.
"If we are weak there is today the genuine threat that we will lose this incredible blessing which Australia is."
Mr Joyce said One Nation would allow him to pursue policies that focused on the concerns of "the regular Australian family paying the bills," rather than "trying to placate sectional interests."
Energy policy would be a central focus, he said, along with immigration, with the goal to "make Australia as strong as possible as quickly as possible."
"Our strength comes from our social cohesion, the opportunity for the individual, the breadth and strength of the economy, the efficiency of government, the love of our nation, the centrality of the family and a formidable defence force matching the threats."
Mr Joyce said the government had "increased the population through immigration and, by so doing, removed the capacity for Australians to buy a home, have a family and increase our population by our own means."
"We have sought solutions to problems real, overstated, imagined or designed by reducing the rights of the individual, imposing on the role of the family and increasing the power of the state," he said.
One Nation's energy policy includes dismantling Australia's net zero by 2050 emissions reduction target - which is also the Coalition policy - then to go further by abandoning the Paris Agreement.
Both say they have a plan to lower Australians' power bills, but have not explained how.
One Nation founder Pauline Hanson said from Tamworth in Mr Joyce's electorate that her lead NSW Senate candidate would "strengthen One Nation's position in Parliament just as many Australians are strengthening our position in the polls."
"I welcome Barnaby Joyce to One Nation," Senator Hanson said said.
"I have always been very straightforward about asking Mr Joyce to join our team, and on making it clear this was always his decision.
"I am pleased he's chosen One Nation, and I welcome his experience, his advice and his determination to get a fair go for farmers and regional Australia."
Mr Joyce grew unhappy with the Coalition after being restricted to his electorate during the 2025 election campaign and then dumped from the shadow cabinet.
He handed in his resignation in a speech to the House of Representatives in the final sitting week of the year.
On Monday, he said he had joined the populist right-wing party after his relationship with the Nationals broke down irretrievably, meaning he was no longer able to "give my best endeavours" to the task of serving his electorate.
"I had therefore decided to either resign from Parliament or, if choosing to continue, find a more conducive way to achieve the best outcome in pursuing the task that is required to be done," Mr Joyce said.
'Party of protest': Nationals leader slams move
Nationals leader David Littleproud said the move was "disappointing" and broke the contract that Mr Joyce had made with New England voters who had re-elected him in May.
He said loyal National Party members had "worked day and night volunteering to support" Mr Joyce, only to be betrayed.
"One Nation is a party of protest, not a party of government," Mr Littleproud said.
"Our regional representatives need to be able to get things done in government and that can only happen as part of a Coalition."
He said as a One Nation parliamentarian, Mr Joyce would "never able to achieve anything other than headlines."
"I have never had a personal issue or problem with Barnaby Joyce. This issue is about Barnaby wanting to be the Leader of a party," Mr Littleproud said.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the move was evidence that "the Coalition is now so bad that not even Barnaby Joyce wants to hang around them."
"The Coalition is so divided and so divisive and so bereft of any economic credibility that they're losing members left, right and centre," Dr Chalmers told reporters in Canberra.
"This is what happens when a Coalition major party goes out of its way just to be a pale imitation of One Nation ... They are recklessly divisive."
Senator Hanson said One Nation's support was growing because voters were "looking for leadership on the issues which matter to them, like getting rid of net zero and Labor's record immigration."
"Voters know exactly where I stand on these issues, and in recent weeks I think Mr Joyce has been very clear where he stands too," she said.
"I look forward to working with Mr Joyce and One Nation's Senate team as we continue to expose and oppose the Albanese Labor government's agenda.
"We won't stop fighting to end mass immigration, dismantle net zero, and lower the cost of living. We won't stop fighting for the Australian people who want their country back."
