SIXTY-FIVE per cent of readers have said that Barnaby Joyce should stand down.
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A poll ran across Fairfax Media websites in central and western NSW had 989 responses (at time of story publication) from readers with 647 saying he should resign, 321 saying he should stay and just 21 people saying they were undecided about the issue.
Mr Joyce has been under fire after the publication of his affair with Vikki Campion unleashed a string of questions about whether he misused parliamentary entitlements to conduct the relationship.
The decision to move Ms Campion to other ministerial offices also prompted claims the Deputy Prime Minister had breached the ministerial code of conduct - usually a sackable offence.
Mr Joyce and Ms Campion spoke exclusively with Fairfax Media in Armidale this week, a fortnight after their relationship was exposed.
During the interview Mr Joyce said he did not know if he would face a spill motion when Parliament resumed next week.
The Nationals leader has refused to resign despite Liberal and some Nationals MPs publicly conceding the affair has damaged the government, and Mr Turnbull's blistering condemnation of his deputy's personal behaviour.
On Tuesday Barnaby Joyce announced he wasn’t go anywhere. He blasted suggestions he should be ousted as Nationals leader as a "witch-hunt".
Parkes MP Mark Coulton said on Friday Mr Joyce still had the support of his Nationals colleagues and said that “as sad as the circumstances” were, Mr Joyce’s actions were not a sack-able offence.
Calare MP Andrew Gee has also thrown his support behind the leader saying the “matter has obviously been a topic of discussion” but said Mr Joyce still had his support and the support of the party room.
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