Michael McCormack has said he would not bring on a leadership spill against Barnaby Joyce after his texts critical of the Prime Minister emerged.
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The National Party held its first party room meeting - at 3pm on Monday - since text messages from Mr Joyce calling Scott Morrison "a hypocrite and a liar" were published on Friday.
Mr McCormack lost his leadership of the Nationals as well as his positions as Deputy Prime Minister and cabinet minister to Mr Joyce after a party room meeting in June last year.
"I'm not going to call a spill. If enough of my colleagues want me to run and be their leader, well, yeah, of course I would put my hand up but I'm not going to bring on the spill," Mr McCormack said on Monday.
"I'm not a vindictive person, I'm not a person who lives my life with vengeance in my heart.
"It's my job at the moment, and as always, to do the best for the Riverina, that's why I got sent to Canberra, that's what I have always done; ministerial responsibilities were a bonus."
Mr Joyce, who sent the text messages as backbencher, has apologised and said he had changed his mind about Mr Morrison after developing a "one-on-one working relationship".
"I apologised, he accepted my apology, I offered my resignation, and he did not accept my resignation," Mr Joyce said.
Mr McCormack said on Monday that the Deputy Prime Minister under the Coalition was determined by the National Party.
"The leadership is the gift of the party room; it's not for the Prime Minister to take away, it goes to the National Party."
Mr McCormack put up a social media post on Saturday night about Australian men's cricket coach Justin Langer, which was widely seen as being critical of Mr Joyce and urging him to resign as Deputy Prime Minister.
"Justin Langer's was not the resignation that should have taken place today. He has been a mighty contributor for Australian cricket and should be proud of all he has helped the team accomplish. The nation salutes you JL - a good innings, well played!" Mr McCormack posted on Twitter.
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When asked about the tweet, which generated hundreds of responses, Mr McCormack said it was up for people to make their own interpretation.
"I'm a big cricket fan, I played on the weekend, got a top score and I was quite proud of the fact given I was the oldest player on the field by long way," Mr McCormack said.
"I have known Justin Langer a long time, he reached out to me when I lost the deputy prime minister's job in June last year; I reached out to him via a text on Saturday and then I put that tweet up and people can read into that first sentence whatever they like."
Labor opposition leader Anthony Albanese has questioned how Barnaby Joyce could stay as Deputy Prime Minister given he sent the texts after working closely with Mr Morrison for more than five years.
"The idea that this was just a flippant remark is simply untenable," he said
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