Barnaby Joyce's private life becomes public with revelations he is fathering child with ex-staffer
Barnaby Joyce's private life becomes public with revelations he is fathering child with ex-staffer
The private life of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was thrust into the public eye on Wednesday after it was revealed he is fathering a child with his former staffer-turned-partner.
Photos of Mr Joyce's heavily pregnant girlfriend Vikki Campion appeared on the front page of News Corp's The Daily Telegraph, sparking a fierce debate about intrusion into personal lives.
As the extraordinary events unfolded, Mr Joyce's wife Natalie - from whom he is separated - spoke publicly about the devastating impact of her husband's actions on their family, including their four daughters.
The deputy PM sat stony-faced through question time, and answered an inquiry about regional infrastructure to rare silence from the chamber. He was due to appear on ABC television later.
Some Turnbull government ministers and Nationals colleagues expressed sympathy with Mr Joyce, while others, including Labor frontbenchers, declined to comment on "a private matter".
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne slammed the expose as "tabloid journalism" and told 5AA radio: "I think it's a great pity that this has happened to Barnaby Joyce and his family, and it must be very traumatising for everyone, made much worse by being publicised on the front page."
During the debate over same-sex marriage last year, Mr Joyce confirmed his own marriage of 24 years to Natalie had broken down. Many commentators pinged Mr Joyce as a hypocrite for his advocacy of traditional marriage and family values, although the deputy PM largely took a back seat during the postal vote campaign on marriage equality.
In a statement to News Corp, Mrs Joyce said she was "deeply saddened by the news that my husband is now having a child with a former staff member". She said the affair "has been going on for many months and started when she was a paid employee".
“Our family life has had to be shared during Barnaby’s political career and it was with trust that we let campaign and office staff into our homes and into our lives," Mrs Joyce said. "Naturally we also feel hurt by the actions of Barnaby and the staff member involved."
Ms Campion was previously a media adviser to Mr Joyce and is a former Telegraph journalist. In recent months, rumours had circulated in Canberra about Mr Joyce's impending fatherhood, but until now they had been dismissed or denied by the parties involved.
Rumours also plagued Mr Joyce on the streets of his New England electorate during the byelection campaign he fought and won last year following his disqualification over dual citizenship.
Journalist Sharri Markson, who wrote the story, defended it as being in the public interest. Comparisons were also drawn to coverage of New Zealand leader Jacinta Ardern's pregnancy.
However, Small Business Minister Craig Laundy lamented the "collateral damage" inflicted on Mr Joyce's family.
"My heart goes out to the wife and daughters," he told Sky News. "I think politicians personal lives should not be the subject of the scrutiny we've seen today."
The private life of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was thrust into the public eye on Wednesday after it was revealed he is fathering a child with his former staffer-turned-partner.
Photos of Mr Joyce's heavily pregnant girlfriend Vikki Campion appeared on the front page of News Corp's The Daily Telegraph, sparking a fierce debate about intrusion into personal lives.
As the extraordinary events unfolded, Mr Joyce's wife Natalie - from whom he is separated - spoke publicly about the devastating impact of her husband's actions on their family, including their four daughters.
The deputy PM sat stony-faced through question time, and answered an inquiry about regional infrastructure to rare silence from the chamber. He was due to appear on ABC television later.
Some Turnbull government ministers and Nationals colleagues expressed sympathy with Mr Joyce, while others, including Labor frontbenchers, declined to comment on "a private matter".
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne slammed the expose as "tabloid journalism" and told 5AA radio: "I think it's a great pity that this has happened to Barnaby Joyce and his family, and it must be very traumatising for everyone, made much worse by being publicised on the front page."
During the debate over same-sex marriage last year, Mr Joyce confirmed his own marriage of 24 years to Natalie had broken down. Many commentators pinged Mr Joyce as a hypocrite for his advocacy of traditional marriage and family values, although the deputy PM largely took a back seat during the postal vote campaign on marriage equality.
In a statement to News Corp, Mrs Joyce said she was "deeply saddened by the news that my husband is now having a child with a former staff member". She said the affair "has been going on for many months and started when she was a paid employee".
“Our family life has had to be shared during Barnaby’s political career and it was with trust that we let campaign and office staff into our homes and into our lives," Mrs Joyce said. "Naturally we also feel hurt by the actions of Barnaby and the staff member involved."
Ms Campion was previously a media adviser to Mr Joyce and is a former Telegraph journalist. In recent months, rumours had circulated in Canberra about Mr Joyce's impending fatherhood, but until now they had been dismissed or denied by the parties involved.
Rumours also plagued Mr Joyce on the streets of his New England electorate during the byelection campaign he fought and won last year following his disqualification over dual citizenship.
Journalist Sharri Markson, who wrote the story, defended it as being in the public interest. Comparisons were also drawn to coverage of New Zealand leader Jacinta Ardern's pregnancy.
However, Small Business Minister Craig Laundy lamented the "collateral damage" inflicted on Mr Joyce's family.
"My heart goes out to the wife and daughters," he told Sky News. "I think politicians personal lives should not be the subject of the scrutiny we've seen today."
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