Overview

• Joyce says nothing is locked in regarding a move to One Nation, confirming only brief calls with Pauline Hanson in recent weeks.
• He has not formally advised the Nationals party room of his next steps and it is unclear if he will sit with them when parliament returns.
• Nationals figures publicly downplay the prospect of wider defections, saying they do not expect a contagion effect if Joyce departs.
• Climate policy remains a key flashpoint, with Joyce refusing to sit in a party room that backs net zero by 2050, a position the Coalition has not formally abandoned.
• One Nation is actively courting Joyce and expanding in the region with a new Tamworth branch as local reactions range from supportive to critical, and unconfirmed reports speculate about a future Senate bid and leadership role.