Joyce shows way on Queensland Coalition

Barnaby Joyce's behaviour over Telstra should be a lesson to the Queensland Liberals on how to negotiate a coalition agreement with the Queensland Nats. Just because they threaten to walk away or wreck things if they don't get their way doesn't mean they will.

Joyce at one stage wanted $5 billion from the sale of Telstra spent on his constituents, but appears to be now sheepishly settling for much less. It's standard National Party negotiating tactics, major planks of which appear to be:

I'm reliably informed that despite the Liberals' good showings in Redcliffe and Chatsworth the National Party is still trying to insist that it has a right to run in urban seats. The Liberals are resisting. They should continue to do so, no matter what the other side says. Given the example of Barnaby Joyce they will most likely fold for a lot less than they are asking.