Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce appears to have rejected his leader's overtures to remain in the federal party, and hasn't ruled out joining One Nation.
In his first public statement since it was revealed he plans to quit the Nationals at the next election, Joyce pointed to David Littleproud's statements on generational change in the party as one of the reasons for his decision.
"I do believe there has been a breakdown in the relationship between myself and David and others," he told Seven's Sunrise program on Monday.
"I don't think it's conducive to a harmonious party room for them or, to be honest, for me.
"I think it is playing silly games of charades that everything is fine and anything is going well — it wasn't."
"The best thing to do there is to move on, which is what I can do," Joyce said.
Joyce didn't rule out joining One Nation after finishing up as the MP for New England when the next election arrives in about two and a half years, and revealed he spoke to leader Pauline Hanson on Sunday night.
"I did ring her last night because seeing they [the media] are talking about us, we may as well speak to each other rather than through the media," he said.
"There was nothing locked-in, nothing ... Let's take it down a step. I have not joined One Nation."
Barnaby Joyce said he spoke with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on Sunday night. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
She then told him he could continue to spar with her "as a One National senator, is my tip".
Littleproud said on Sunday he was confident other MPs wouldn't follow Joyce's lead amid internal tensions within the Coalition, particularly over climate and immigration policy.
Littleproud also called on Joyce to stick with the junior Coalition party.
"The people that have joined the National Party have joined because of our values, our beliefs and we proved that at the last election by holding onto all of our seats and nearly winning a new one," he told Nine's Weekend Today program on Sunday.
"We've led on many debates ... but we do that when we draw on the collective and we have sensible policies that are drawn from the collective of our party room."
There have been tensions within the Coalition over its future direction after it suffered its worst federal election loss in its 81-year history in May.
Debate on climate policy has also raged within the Coalition, with MPs such as Joyce calling for the net-zero emissions target to be dumped.
Littleproud said he would reach out to Joyce to reassure him that he has a constructive role to play.
"We'll be talking to Barnaby," he said.
"We want to make sure that his contribution is a valued one within our party room, as everybody's is.
"It's the collective of the National Party that determines the policy settings and sometimes our policies take a little bit longer."
Joyce did not say on Monday if he had heard from the leader.
He told branch members in a letter that his relationship with the Nationals leadership broke down when he was demoted to the backbench.
"I am free to now consider all options as to what I do next," he said in the letter.
"The atmospherics in the party room, where I am seated in the far corner of the coalition in the chamber, means I am seen and now turning into a discordant note.
"That is not who I want to be."
