A Union of Vegetables and Minerals
![Text at the top: 'A possible coalition of vegetables and minerals'. Peter Dutton is on the left, as a potato. Barnaby Joyce is on the right, as a radish, holding a black substance. Text at the top: 'A possible coalition of vegetables and minerals'. Peter Dutton is on the left, as a potato. Barnaby Joyce is on the right, as a radish, holding a black substance.](/sites/default/files/2024-10/2022_th03_09_a-union-of-vegetables-and-minerals_golding.jpg)
Matt Golding
After the Liberal–National Coalition’s defeat at the federal election, Scott Morrison stepped down as Liberal Party leader and took up a position on the backbench. The prospect of leadership team featuring the Liberals’ Peter Dutton and the Nationals’ Barnaby Joyce proved irresistible to Matt Golding. But it was not to be: Joyce was also consigned to the backbench when David Littleproud became leader of the Nationals after a leadership spill.