ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

On behalf of her close personal friend Barnaby Joyce, Gina Rinehart telephoned Rupert Murdoch this afternoon to see if he’s hugged the cactus on the backbench long enough.

Australia’s richest person is said to be working as a mediator between the two powerful men and she took the time to speak to The Advocate about what she said to both parties today.

“Rupert said he’d think about it,” said Gina to our reporter this afternoon via SnapChat.

“Which is all I asked him to do. Rupert said he thinks this election might be unsalvagable for the Coalition and it’d be best to leave McCormack to fly the plane into the mountainside in the interim,”

“But he also conceded that if they were going to win this election, they’d have a better chance with Joyce at the helm. It’s quite a conundrum.”

Our reporter also spoke to Barnaby, who said he’s just putting along a day at a time and taking his job as the New England’s voice in Canberra very seriously.

However, the Armidale local did say he’d be open to taking the Nationals leadership back if that’s what the party room wanted.

“I don’t want to speculate,” said Joyce.

“One thing I do want to mention is that I secured funding for a new bridge near Tenterfield this week. They’ll be getting their new double-carriageway bridge early next year,”

“And the drought is still ongoing – despite all this recent rain we’ve had. Still need more. Good chatting, anyway. Talk soon, BJ.”

Rupert Murdoch was approached for comment but no reply has been received at the time of print.

More to come.