Seven releases unseen footage from Barnaby Joyce interview
BOWING to pressure over accusations of a ‘soft’ interview, Channel 7 has released previously unseen footage from the Sunday Night tell-all with Barnaby Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion.
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BOWING to pressure over accusations of a ‘soft’ interview, Channel 7 has released previously unseen footage from the Sunday Night tell-all with Barnaby Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion.
After journalist Alex Cullen copped intense criticism for failing to ask the tough questions related to misused travel funds and allegations that Campion profited from high-paying jobs created for her within the National party, Seven released a “part two” of the controversial interview.
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“For those who asked” Cullen tweeted alongside a link to the package which contained the answer to some further questions.
.@Barnaby_Joyce says he's not worried about the political consequences of a paid interview on Seven's @sundaynighton7. @Riley7News #auspol #7News pic.twitter.com/WPhI1my92U
— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) June 4, 2018
In the footage, which Seven said contained “exchanges viewers didn’t see,” Campion addressed the nasty social media slurs she had been a victim of, saying she had been called “a rent-a-root”.
Joyce also addressed claims they had misused travel funds by undertaking trips together.
“They have investigated this to death,” Mr Joyce said, claiming he’s gone through comprehensive questioning by the Parliamentary Expenses Authority.
“I’ve had like 160 inquiries and at this point not one, not one, has come up saying ‘Oh, this is a problem’.”
Ms Campion is also having her expenses investigated, the couple revealed.
“They have found that they actually owe me money,” she said.
Joyce also “angrily” rejected claims of sexual harassment made by multiple women as a political plot.
“This is garbage and the purpose of this, I believe, was to blow me out of my job,” he said.
Cullen was yesterday forced to hit back at critics who were quick to comment that some of the important questions weren’t addressed in the interview.
“I’d like to make it clear that q’s about Joyce’s alleged taxpayer funded travel rorts and claims of sexual misconduct were asked in our @sundaynighton7 I/V. The response to these q’s was the same as we’ve heard time and time again. Vehemently denied hence nothing new. #Auspol.”
Veteran journalists and commentators had earlier said the much-hyped interview was simply an expensive puff piece, but the new footage may go some way to appeasing Cullen’s critics.