Our Barnaby Joyce makes it plain he’s RURAL !

Queensland's Senator Barnaby Joyce, just elected the National Party's Leader of Business in the Senate, has refused Malcolm Turnbull's offer of a front bench portfolio in his Shadow Cabinet.

Good on you, Barnaby.! Having crossed the floor umpteen times to protect Australia's "rural rump" on issue after issue, you're hardly likely to change spots now.

As Canberra commentator Glen Milne put it on the ABC's Insiders it'll be fascinating to see the rebel Barnaby "challenging his own leadership"

But country folk must applaud him - he's evidently a disciple of Sir Arthur ("Call me Artie") Fadden, Deputy Prime Minister in the Menzies years. In his plain-talking autobiography also named "Call me Artie", Fadden warned bluntly that unless the Country Party stayed independent as the "rural rump" of Australian politics it was doomed.

So now look - the Nationals down to just nine seats in the Reps. The days of Coalition authority are long gone.

The party's big new hope lies in the balance of power deal it has won in Western Australia. Its dilemma is the shakey deal it's struck with the Liberals in Queensland - and that is increasingly shakey.

Barnaby's mantra is "diffentiate or disappear" - and he evidently is determined that just won't happen.