Former deputy PM and new dad Barnaby Joyce to go on personal leave ahead of $150k interview
FORMER deputy PM Barnaby Joyce has taken personal leave as his private life again drags the federal government into controversy.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News . Followed categories will be added to My News.
FORMER deputy PM Barnaby Joyce has taken personal leave as his private life again drags the federal government into controversy.
Mr Joyce has been granted leave for the rest of parliament’s sitting period before the winter break — about five weeks — but is not expected to return to Canberra until August.
It is understood he approached Nationals whip Michelle Landry last night and the leave was granted.
JOYCE SAYS HIS PARTNER MADE DECISION TO ACCEPT $150K
RITA PANAHI: HYSTERIA OVER BARNABY JOYCE INTERVIEW OUT OF LINE
Sources told the Herald Sun that he was “clearly struggling” and “not in a good place”.
Mr Joyce is expected to return to electorate duties during the winter break but will not return to Canberra until August.
It comes as his partner and mother of his infant son, Vikki Campion, claims “you can’t help who you fall in love with” in a teaser for the pair’s controversial $150,000-odd interview with Channel 7.
“You can’t help it,” she said.
The decision to accept money for the interview has raised the ire of Mr Joyce’s government colleagues who on Tuesday condemned his decision.
The former Nationals leader confirmed late last year he had split with his wife of 24 years, amid speculation he was in a relationship with his one-time media adviser Vikki Campion.
In April the couple announced Ms Campion had given birth to son, Sebastian.
Mr Joyce, who is furious at the treatment the pair have received from the media, said he would not have sold his story if there were stronger privacy protections in Australia.
“And the last fortnight, we have had drones over our house, we have had paparazzi waiting for us outside Armidale airport, we have had people following us to Uralla,” he said.
“We tried just burning this out — that did not work.”
Asked if he should have taken money for the interview, Mr Joyce said “I didn’t”.
“It is an interview not just with me, it is with Vikki,” he said.
A family insider has said the money will be set aside for the child in trust fund that the parents will have no control over.
Independent economist Clifford Bennett told the Herald Sun if the money was invested into a mix of international shares, property, and Australian stocks then his “bottom or worse case expectation” would be a “result in the area of $2 million to $3 million”.
“Not bad for your 21st birthday, especially when you remember inflation will remain very low despite strong economic growth and high corporate profits,” Mr Bennett said.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday he would have a private conversation with Mr Joyce about the interview agreement.
“It’s certainly not a course of action that I would have encouraged him to take,” Mr Turnbull told LAFM.
“People are making judgments about it, I’ve said it’s not something I would have encouraged him to do, in fact quite the contrary,” he said.
Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer said politicians should not be paid for interviews and thought most Australians were “pretty disgusted by it”.
Brewery puts name on global sporting stage
It’s the little brewery that could. A South Gippsland craft brewer is putting its name on a motorsport event with a global audience of more than 100 million people.
West Gate Tunnel build set to close key Docklands route
Brace for more traffic pain linked to the West Gate Tunnel project with a key route in the Docklands set to close.