Barnaby Joyce may take leave rather than become acting PM

BARNABY Joyce has indicated he may take personal leave rather than be acting prime minister in Malcolm Turnbull’s absence, as the scandal of his affair dogs the Government.

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BARNABY Joyce has expressed reservations about acting as prime minister next week, and has privately flagged taking personal leave as his sordid personal life plunges the Federal Government into crisis.

As Nationals yesterday privately wondered how long the Deputy Prime Minister could withstand the fallout over his affair with former staff member Vikki Campion, Nationals president Larry Anthony scurried from Brisbane to Canberra to meet with MPs.

Several senior Liberal ministers throughout the country want Mr Joyce to resign, but have been told that the Nationals elect their own leader and to undermine Mr Joyce was to put at risk the Coalition agreement.

Sources have also told The Courier-Mail that Mr Joyce stood by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull when he was facing leadership tensions last year and a growing number of lost Newspolls.

The Barnaby Joyce affair has compounded Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s headaches. Picture: Kym Smith

It can be revealed Mr Joyce did not move in with Ms Campion until this year, when she was about four months pregnant, that she went through a selection process for a job with Resources Minister Matt Canavan, and took a pay cut when she went to work for Nationals Whip Damian Drum.

It is understood those closest to Mr Joyce are hoping he can withstand 10 days, and believe he may be able to survive the crisis if no further revelations are made public.

However the issue has damaged Mr Joyce so much that even those MPs with little profile yesterday flagged that they wanted the top job.

Member for Flynn Ken O’Dowd, whose seat is marginal, told Radio 4CCC Gladstone yesterday: “I don’t feel old — I don’t feel old, you know, so, so, but, look it’s going to open — you know, I’m not predicting that anything’s going to happen today but if it does there’s going to be a lot of guys with their hands up, and I might just be one of those.”

The image revealing Vikki Campion’s pregnancy. Picture: John Grainger

The Courier-Mail understands Mr Joyce has told those close to him that he does not want to become — or believes he should not become — acting prime minister when Mr Turnbull heads to Washington next week to hold meetings with US President Donald Trump.

It is believed he is considering taking personal leave.

If Julie Bishop returns from overseas in time she will become acting prime minister.

However those close to Mr Joyce believe he is the only viable option to lead the Nationals because of his personal approval ratings, which have likely been hammered by the sex scandal.

There are only a handful of Nationals who have turned on Mr Joyce, and while the rest are on his side, they are wondering how to stem the fallout.

In the absence of Mr Joyce, deputy Liberal leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop will become acting prime minister if she returns from overseas in time.

Mr Joyce yesterday offered another apology, but with more detail, and told Australia he would not resign.

“I would like to say to Natalie how deeply sorry I am for all the hurt this has caused,” he said.

“To my girls, how deeply sorry I am for all the hurt that it has caused them.

“To Vikki Campion, how deeply sorry I am that she has been dragged into this.

“I would like to also say to my supporters and people in my electorate how deeply sorry I am that this personal issue — deeply personal issue — has gone into the public arena.

“I am very aware of the ministerial code of conduct. It is without a shadow of a doubt that Vikki Campion is my partner now.

“But when she worked in my office, she was not my partner. When she worked in Matt Canavan’s office, she was not my partner.

“And Damian Drum was not a minister. I think this is vitally important in how we differentiate between the public and the private.”