Barnaby Joyce says he will resign from the National party , telling the parliament he was seeking “a better position” than the Coalition backbenches and claiming he has been ignored by his party leadership.

The backbencher has not confirmed if he will – as widely speculated – seek to join One Nation or remain as an independent crossbencher. But he says he is “strongly considering” joining the party, reaffirming his plan to not contest the next election as the member for New England but holding the door open to a Senate run.

Joyce, in a short statement to the House of Representatives before question time on Thursday, the last day of parliament for the year, claimed he had been left on the “ejection seat” of the backbenches of the Coalition .

“When I announced this about five weeks

See Full Page