Key points:
- NSW Nationals leader declares "Turnbull is the problem"
- Turnbull says Barilaro should call him to discuss his issues
- Premier Berejiklian distances herself from deputy's remarks
- Joyce criticises "insulting" comments about PM
The leader of the federal National Party and former deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has responded to NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro's call for Malcolm Turnbull to resign.
Mr Joyce said the comments made by his state counterpart were “very unhelpful” and “insulting”.
Mr Barilaro slammed the leadership of Mr Turnbull on Friday and said he should make way for a new prime minister in an extraordinary attack on his federal Coalition colleague.
The comments came on the eve of a crucial , where Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce is fighting to hold his relatively safe Lower House seat.
"Turnbull is the problem, the prime minister is the problem,” Mr Barilaro told Radio 2GB’s Alan Jones on Thursday morning.
“He should step down, allow for a clean out of what the leadership looks like federally."
Mr Joyce criticised the comments.
“I don't think you should be criticising leadership. You're criticising the captain of your team, your own team, why would you do that?” Mr Joyce said.
“I just can't fathom how people could think a comment like that is is of anything but harm.”
Mr Joyce said he considered Malcolm Turnbull “a mate” and he would defend him if re-elected to parliament.
“I'm gonna make sure the role of the deputy, and hopefully I'll get that role again, is to make sure the leader survives and I'll be doing precisely that.”
Mr Barilaro said the prime minister had ruined the Coalition’s chances of winning the next election because of the division within the party.
"I've lost all hope in the prime minister."
Backbench Nationals were recently threatening to cross the floor and force a Royal Commission into the banks, and the Turnbull Government eventually agreed and announced the inquiry on Thursday.
“My view is Turnbull should give … a Christmas gift and go before Christmas,” the NSW deputy premier said.
He also attacked the prime minister for suggesting he was not responsible for a swing against the Queensland Liberals in a recent state election.
“What really got up my goat was to hear the Prime Minister of this nation turn around and say there were no federal issues that affected the Queensland election,” he said.
Turnbull says he'd be 'delighted' to chat with Barilaro
Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull responded to the comments around an hour later on Radio 3AW and dismissed the suggestion his leadership was under threat.
“If that was a serious view he held, you would think he would speak to me directly,” he told the Melbourne radio station.
“If I had a view about a state leader of that kind, I would express it - if I expressed it at all - privately and face-to-face, I wouldn’t be bagging them in the media like that.”
He offered to discuss the issue with the deputy NSW premier directly.
"He’s got my number, he can call me anytime. I’d be delighted to have a chat to him," Mr Turnbull said.
The prime minister's Liberal cabinet colleagues joined in diminishing Mr Barilaro's remarks. Foreign minister Julie Bishop said he was "not in our [federal] party room" so his comments were "irrelevant".
Finance minister Mathias Cormann said the comments were "regrettable" and "un-called for".
"I suggest to the gentleman, who I have never met, focuses on his party room, the National Party party room in NSW, and we'll focus on our party room at a federal level," Senator Cormann said.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie denied her state counterpart's remarks indicated a growing rift between the Nationals and the Liberals.
"I think it's a storm in a teacup. We have a very strong relationship," she told reporters at a recreational clay-target shooting event outside Canberra.
"John Barilaro is entitled to his opinion. I obviously don't agree with it. I think the PM and our government have been doing a cracking job," she said.
NSW Premier distances herself from deputy's remarks
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she did not share her deputy's views on the prime minister.
"Malcolm Turnbull has my full and absolute support," the premier wrote in a statement to media.
"Mr Barilaro has expressed a personal view which I do not share."
She said Mr Barilaro was "well aware" of her position, but she did not condemn the remarks.
"I look forward to continuing to work with the Turnbull Coalition Government to deliver a better quality of life for the people of NSW."
