Annette Sharp: Why Vikki Campion could be left holding Barnaby Joyce’s baby after ‘tell all’

NEW mother Vikki Campion must, deep down, know she could be left holding the baby and little else when this affair with Barnaby Joyce blows over. It may have motivated her decision to sell an interview and bank $150,000 for the infant.

IT’S a good thing Sebastian Joyce is so darned cute.

He may well end up being all Barnaby Joyce’s mistress Vikki Campion walks away with at the end of her ill-conceived love affair with the former deputy Prime Minister of Australia — a still married man.

New mother Campion must, deep down, know she could be left holding the baby and little else when and if this affair with Joyce blows over — motivating her decision to sell an interview to Channel 7 and bank $150,000 for the six week old infant — a deal that failed all parties involved with Sunday Night attracting a mediocre audience of just 631,000 (5 cap cities) with the soapie saga.

Vikki Campion could have banked $300,000 had the couple taken the money reportedly offered by Channel 9’s 60 Minutes — but there were questions Barnaby Joyce didn’t want to answer. Picture: Channel 7

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Campion could have banked $300,000 had the couple taken the money reportedly offered by Channel 9’s 60 Minutes — but there were questions Joyce didn’t want to answer and may have been compelled to if they’d taken the greater payment.

These were questions relating to his wife and four daughters. Questions relating to his career. Subjects he still wants, on some level, to protect and preserve; to throw a protective wing over.

Last night there was no such protection for baby Sebastian.

He and his conception became media fodder — interest renewed by his parents cutting a deal.

Channel 7 reporter Alex Cullen steered last night’s Sunday Night interview away from politics — perhaps at the insistence of former National Party boss Barnaby Joyce.

Last night there was no such protection for baby Sebastian. Picture: Channel 7

There was no rigorous examination of Campion’s appointment to Joyce’s office and transfer to former Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Matt Canavan’s office, and after to the Federal Member for Murray, Damian Drum’s.

No prosecution of questions relating to travel expenses possibly incurred by Campion while travelling with Joyce — though not, he has said, as his “partner”.

Yet Campion is his partner now — hence the shared touches, the giggles, the use of the term “darling” employed by Joyce when he attempted to shut Campion down in the interview at one point.

She was about to answer a question relating to Joyce’s wife Natalie and a confrontation about the couple’s affair. “You don’t have to answer that darling,” Joyce said, taking some control. Finally.

Vikki Campion and Barnaby Joyce during their first interview since the birth of their baby boy Sebastian. Credit: Channel 7

That interview moment shed more light on the couple’s relationship than most of what was said during the teary and juvenile hour-long interview.

In it Joyce assumed the role of protective father — a role he may have inadvertently stepped into with Campion who plainly has some unresolved issues based on how she reacted to her father being interviewed by media after the story broke.

Though he is now a national joke, Joyce still has hopes of resurrecting his political career.

If ambition spurs him further, he may find the electorate won’t countenance his mistress.

He must know voters in his rural heartland won’t forget that way he has treated his wife, his four daughters. Country folk hold fast to country values.

A reconciliation with Natalie could fix that, for the sake of ambition.

But where does that leave Campion, if Joyce’s political ambition must once again be served?

Vikki may have motivated her decision to sell an interview and bank $150,000 for Sebastian. Picture: Channel 7