"I'm going straight into surgery": Barnaby Joyce opens on cancer diagnosis

Former Deputy Prime Minister and long-time Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has revealed he is battling prostate cancer, using the opportunity to encourage Australian men to prioritise their health.

In his first public comments since the diagnosis, Joyce spoke candidly with Sunrise on Monday morning, just hours before heading into surgery.

“Literally, straight after this … I’m going … straight down the road and straight into surgery,” the newly re-elected Member for New England told host Natalie Barr.

Joyce said he was feeling well despite the diagnosis, highlighting a common danger with prostate cancer. “I feel fine. I suppose that’s the problem with prostate cancer, you don’t feel bad.”

He explained that his cancer was discovered during the election campaign, thanks to a persistent doctor who urged him to take a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. “It was like ‘bingo’ – there were elevated levels,” Joyce recalled.

Following a PSA test, Joyce underwent an MRI and then a biopsy, which confirmed the presence of early-stage prostate cancer. “They said, ‘You’re lucky, it’s early stages, you’ve got to do something about it,’” he said.

Despite the diagnosis, Joyce chose to delay surgery until after the election to avoid disrupting his campaign. “I didn’t want a big circus going on during the election,” he said.

In a lighter moment, Joyce revealed he was delayed getting to hospital because of a flat tyre. “I can’t help myself, can I?” he joked.

Joyce said his experience serves as a warning to other men. “If you’re a man, or you know a man, if you’re in your 40s, 50s, go get a PSA test and clear your own mind that everything is fine,” he urged. “If you get it early you’re overwhelmingly going to be OK.”

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, also appearing on Sunrise, praised Joyce’s decision to speak openly about his diagnosis. “I really do think that having high-profile people like Barnaby talk about their health challenges is really important to encourage other men to get the test,” she said.

Professor Damien Bolton, Urologist and President of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) also added a message of support in response to Joyce’s openness. “By being open and honest about his prostate cancer diagnosis, Barnaby Joyce is helping raise awareness about a disease that is the second most common cause of cancer related deaths in men,” said Bolton. “If caught early, prostate cancer is nearly always curable with 97 percent of men still alive five years after their diagnosis.”

Joyce concluded with a message of hope and perspective: “Look at this beautiful world; you want to live as long as you possibly can.”

Image: Sunrise