Malcolm furious after Barnaby Joyce told him affair with staffer was over
AFTER breaking his silence with an apology over his affair with a now-pregnant former staffer, Barnaby Joyce today revealed how he and his wife had tried in vain to save their 24-year marriage.
NSW
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AFTER breaking his silence on his affair with a now-pregnant former staffer Vikki Campion, Barnaby Joyce today revealed how he and his wife had tried in vain to save their 24-year marriage.
In a written statement, the Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister said his marriage had been under pressure for some time.
“Natalie and I tried to make it work again in April last year but it subsequently came to an end,” he said.
“This has been a searing personal experience for Natalie, our daughters and for Vikki - criticise me if you wish but please have some regard for them.”
Earlier, Mr Joyce had publicly apologised to his wife, four daughters and pregnant new partner for the distress the public airing of his affair has caused.
“I would like to say to Natalie how deeply sorry I am for all the hurt this has caused.
“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.”
PM FURIOUS AS JOYCE SAID ‘AFFAIR WAS OVER’
Earlier it was revealed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told his colleagues in August last year that Barnaby Joyce had assured him his affair with a staff member was over.
Government sources said Mr Turnbull is furious with Mr Joyce for allowing his personal crisis regarding his relationship with former staffer Vikki Campion, 33, to develop into a full-blown political scandal, but he remains limited in the action he can take against the Deputy Prime Minister, who currently enjoys the support of the National Party.
Amid concern that Ms Campion had rejoined Mr Joyce’s office in early August 2017, Liberal MPs said Mr Turnbull had told them in the week staring Monday August 14, 2017 that he had been reassured by Mr Joyce the affair was over.
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At the time Mr Joyce gave Mr Turnbull the commitment that their liaison was over, Ms Campion would have been in the early stages of her pregnancy. Her baby is due in April.
Mr Turnbull declined to comment yesterday on any private conversation he had had with Mr Joyce.
The then Nationals Chief Whip Damian Drum was also told by Mr Joyce’s chief of staff that his affair with Ms Campion was over in late August when he took her into his employ as a social media adviser and the highest-paid adviser in his office, increasing his staff allocation from six to seven to make room for her.
“There were rumours around the parliament that there was something going on but certainly at the time Vikki came to work in my office my understanding was it was no longer an ongoing affair,” Mr Drum told ABC radio.
A sentiment is strengthening among Liberal backbenchers that Mr Joyce needs to step down.
“For the sake of honour, he should step aside,” one MP said.
“Give Malcolm a break. We had a good start to the year and now it’s the Barnaby show again. We had the citizenship stuff and now this. If he doesn’t step aside we’re going to have another distraction in April when the baby comes.”