Why Barnaby’s latest interview just made it worse. Again

HIS bizarre interview, alongside a phantom-like Vikki Campion, was a plea for privacy. Staying out of view for a week might have been a smarter move for Barnaby Joyce, writes Victoria Hannaford.

A WEEK of leave would have been a good chance for Barnaby Joyce to spend some time at home, and shut out the madness of the past few weeks.

But clearly a politician’s definition of time off is different.

Instead, his week away from the office has been punctuated by a bizarre interview with Fairfax, where the Nationals leader and partner Vikki Campion attempted to set the record straight by giving their side of the story.

Except Campion largely refused to go on the record.

She’s a strange, phantom-like presence in the interview: there, but not there.

The one piece of information she was prepared to give up freely and on the record? That her son’s middle names will be in honour of her two brothers, who have provided her with support.

“They are the only people who knew,” she is reported as saying.

Exactly what they knew — while no one else did — is left hanging in the air.

And that’s the tenor of the whole interview: it left more questions than it answered.

Barnaby Joyce has been defiant in media appearances, including his recent press conference outside Parliament House in Canberra. (Pic: Gary Ramage)

As the first joint ‘appearance’ from the couple — although Campion refused to be photographed — it was ostensibly a plea for privacy as they prepare for the birth of their son, due in April.

But there are a few hints in the details reported about Campion that might explain the baffling choice to give an interview while also trying to remain in the shadows.

She’s reportedly “deeply uncomfortable” with her recent run in the headlines.

For anyone who’s experienced a sudden upswing in public interest — even as a former journalist — it can be an extremely disorienting event.

Imagine being judged by a kangaroo court, even derided by comedians in the US like John Oliver, while heavily pregnant, a time when many women feel extremely vulnerable.

You’d want to hide.

Which is what Campion has tried to do. She’s even reportedly missed medical appointments because she didn’t want to go out in public.

And like most women, she’s probably had thoughts about how having a kid is going to affect her career. The interview also saw her show pay slips to counter the claims that she had taken home a huge salary while working for Matt Canavan.

But that’s it. She doesn’t defend her professional record.

Vikki Campion and Barnaby Joyce might have both agreed to a recent interview, but Campion was mostly silent and refused to be photographed. (Pic: Supplied)

The facts are all left there, without the context a full, on the record interview would have provided.

It’s understandable, because Campion probably realises there’s not much she can do to successfully request public sympathy.

But it’s sad too, because anyone who has met Campion would struggle to recognise the gutsy, fearless person they know her to be in this interview.

Instead, Joyce is left to speak for the both of them, and voice fears his child with Campion would be seen as “less worthy” than the four daughters he had with wife Natalie Joyce.

Except judging his child hasn’t been part of the public discourse surrounding his affair.

People do, however, have questions about Joyce’s judgment, his character and most crucially, his use of parliamentary privileges.

Once again, he has shown poor judgment, and a lack of understanding about the source of public outrage, but this time it’s because he’s given an interview while demanding privacy.

And he missed the mark entirely, because actually, a bit of silence from Joyce would have achieved the same thing.

Victoria Hannaford is a RendezView writer and producer.

@vhannaford