Barnaby Joyce has launched a scathing counter-attack on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, accusing the leader of his government of making "inept" comments that caused "further harm".
The rebuke comes just 30 minutes after Mr Turnbull declared his "confidence" in Mr Joyce remaining deputy prime minister, speaking at a press event in Tasmania.
Mr Joyce's comments were directed at a speech by Mr Turnbull on Thursday afternoon in which the prime minister slammed his deputy's handling of an affair with his former employee Vikki Campion, which was recently revealed in the national media.
"Barnaby made a shocking error of judgement in having an affair with a young woman working in his office. In doing so, he has set off a world of woe for those women and appalled all of us," Mr Turnbull said, before encouraging Mr Joyce to "consider" his future.
In a surprise press conference on Friday morning Mr Joyce hit back, saying the comments were damaging to the Coalition relationship between the Nationals and the Liberals.
"I have to say that, in many instances, they caused further harm. I believe they were, in many instances, inept," Mr Joyce told reporters at Parliament House.
"And most definitely, in many instances, unnecessary.
"I listened to it and I thought that was completely unnecessary, and all that is going to do is basically pull the scab off."
Mr Joyce also confirmed rumours Mr Turnbull's suggestion to "consider" his future had angered the Nationals.
"There is nothing that we dislike more than implied intervention into the party processes of the National Party," Mr Joyce said.
"We are an independent, vertical unit and make our own decisions."
Mr Joyce said it was clear he would need to work on repairing his relationship with Mr Turnbull to get it "back on to an even keel".
Mr Turnbull does not have the power to sack Mr Joyce as Nationals leader. Only the Nationals party room can remove him, and the agreement between the Liberals and the Nationals mandates his role as deputy prime minister.
But Mr Turnbull could sack Mr Joyce from his office as minister for Infrastructure.
Shorten says time for Joyce to be sacked
Opposition leader Bill Shorten said the exchange of public criticisms was evidence Mr Joyce and Mr Turnbull were "at war" and repeated his calls for the Nationals leader to be sacked.
"The prime minister yesterday declared war on Mr Joyce and today Mr Joyce has declared war on Mr Turnbull," Mr Shorten said at a press conference in Melbourne.
"This is a full-blown political crisis," he said.
"The first thing that has to happen, even before parliament resumes, is Mr Turnbull must sack Mr Joyce."
