The Nationals’ deputy leader, Perin Davey, is facing the prospect of an official complaint from a party member over an incident in which she slurred and stumbled over words in a Senate hearing.
According to the NSW Nationals’ constitution, complaints that a member’s “general behaviour, public utterances, or writings, have been such as to bring or attempt to bring discredit or undue embarrassment to the party” can be grounds to cancel or suspend their membership.
Guardian Australia understands that Steve de Gunst, a Nationals member in New England, notified Davey that he intends to make the complaint with the New South Wales Nationals.
Gunst and members of the NSW Nationals ethics committee contacted on Friday declined to comment.
Davey has said she had two drinks at a social function before the hearing, but denied being drunk and blamed residual effects from a medical incident in 2019 for her speech difficulties.
A spokesperson for Davey said: “The Senator has been made aware by the complainant that a complaint may be lodged, in which case, The Nationals have confidential processes in place and it would be inappropriate for her to comment further.”
“As part of our complaints handling process the NSW Nationals will not confirm or deny if a complaint has been received on any particular matter.”
The party’s constitution states that its central council may call upon the person facing the complaint to “show cause why membership should not be cancelled or suspended”. “After due consideration, during which the person may be heard in defence, Central Council may cancel or suspend forthwith the membership, or dismiss the complaint or deal with the Member or Associate Member in any other way.”
On Tuesday Davey told 2BS Bathurst Radio that her apparent slurring was the result of two emergency operations and an 11-day stint in hospital after an abscess erupted behind her tonsils in 2019.
“I acknowledge when I’m tired or if I’ve had a glass of wine, or if I’m stressed, my throat catches, I can, sometimes a bit of mucus will fall down my throat and I’ll have a coughing fit, sometimes I slur words,” Davey said.
Davey said she felt personally attacked by the saga and claimed someone “selectively” clipped a video of her appearance to imply she had been incoherent throughout the hearing.
The Davey incident followed another in which Barnaby Joyce was filmed lying face up on the pavement with his feet on a planter box swearing down his phone.
Joyce, the shadow veterans affairs minister, admitted he made a “mistake” and blamed the incident on Lonsdale Street in the Canberra suburb of Braddon on the combination of medication and alcohol.
Joyce said this week he has given up alcohol for lent, but so far has stared down encouragement by the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, to take leave after the incident.
The Joyce incident sparked criticism in the Nationals party room and a crossbench push spearheaded by independent MP Zali Steggall for random alcohol and drug testing in parliament.
Earlier in February Joyce told Guardian Australia he was walking from parliament to his accommodation late on Wednesday 7 February when he fell over next to a planter box while on the phone with his partner, Vikki Campion.
“If I knew someone was filming me I probably would have got up quicker before I walked home. I was swearing at myself,” Joyce said.
