Barnaby’s not dead yet, but the vultures are circling. The new folk hero from Queensland has just flown out of Canberra for his date with his local National Party “management committee.” But before leaving this morning he gave an ABC radio interview and delivered a memorable doorstop interview.

The man dubbed “Senator Ten Per Cent” in today’s SMHeditorial took the long walk down the press gallery corridor just before 11am to be greeted by the biggest media scrum seen here since the federal Budget. The heavyweights were there: Grattan, Farr, Shanahan, the Middletons (Karen and Jim) and many more.

Joyce’s message is that he’s facing a backlash from the bush for his looming Telstra sell-out and isn’t quite ready to sign up for this deal. “We didn’t vote in the joint party room for this sale, we always said we’d take it back to Queensland.” So his 44-person management committee will make the decision for him, and Barnaby’s comfortable with that: “They come from all walks of life; housewives, and solicitors and captains of industry.”

“I don’t believe I have the ability from here to do that,” he ventured. “As you all know, down here there is only one view on Telstra. So we have to get back up to a place where there are other views.” Reporter: So you’ll follow the management committee’s recommendation? Joyce: “Yes”

Then up stepped The Australian’s political editor Dennis Shanahan, who had heard enough to ask this question: Will you confirm here then that you are going to be told by a group of unelected faceless men in Queensland how to cast your vote? Will you confirm that? Joyce gave an uncomfortable non-answer, but we know where Shanahan will be going in tomorrow’s paper.

40 years ago, Bob Menzies brilliantly exploited voter fears about Labor by coining the phrase “the 36 faceless men” – beautifully illustrated by a photo showing Arthur Calwell waiting patiently outside for his riding instructions while the ALP federal executive decided party policy.

Expect Shanahan to add eight to that number – our headline “Barnaby’s 44 faceless folk” should do the trick – and go in hard on what the PM will see as a wonderful opportunity to exploit Joyce’s dilemma and add further pressure on him to fold up his card table and vote for the sale.