Coalition MPs give verdict on Barnaby Joyce’s $150,000 paid interview on his new son Sebastian

DOES Barnaby Joyce’s $150,000 tell-all television interview deal with Channel 7 pass the pub test? It depends on the pub, according to his colleagues. Have your say in our online poll.

BARNABY Joyce’s colleagues have given their verdict about his decision with partner Vikki Campion to pocket $150,000 for a tell-all interview about their new family.

Nationals MP David Gillespie was asked today whether the former Deputy Prime Minister’s interview deal passed the pub test.

It “depends which pub you go in,” he responded.

Dr Gillespie told Sky News that Mr Joyce had a lot of supporters and “what Barnaby and Vikki decide on is their decision.”

“I’m not going to be second guessing what they should or shouldn’t be doing,” he said.

“Like I said, I wouldn’t be doing interviews for cash but that’s their choice.”

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Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion. Picture: Kym Smith

A number of Mr Joyce’s colleagues have refused to pass judgment today on his decision to accept payment for the interview with Seven’s Sunday Night program.

But none of his Coalition colleagues say they would accept cash for an interview.

It comes after The Daily Telegraph reported Mr Joyce and his partner were giving the tell-all interview despite complaining to the Australian Press Council that the publication had breached their privacy by exposing the affair in February.

Nationals senator John “Wacka” Williams, a good friend of the former deputy prime minister, says he would judge Mr Joyce on his work for the people of his New England electorate instead.

“What he does with his private life with him and Vikki and his son Sebastian, that’s up to him to decide, it’s not for me to judge,” Senator Williams told ABC radio on Monday.

“If he decides to do that, it’s his business, none of my business, and I’m not going to make a judgment one way or another about whether he’s doing right or wrong.”

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Joyce with Senator John Williams at Parliament House. Picture: Kym Smith

It is unclear how much tension the saga will still stir within the Nationals, with Senator Williams conceding while “it’s getting plenty of headlines”, it’s yet to be determined if “people are going to be annoyed about it”.

The party will hold its regular meeting in Canberra today.

Liberal MP Tim Wilson said the complaint was a question for Mr Joyce.

“I’m not in the habit of making complaints to the press council, but I’m also not in the habit of taking sums of cash for interviews either,” Mr Wilson told Sky News.

Another Coalition backbencher has anonymously told The Daily Telegraph Mr Joyce’s choice to seek privacy and then seek an interview deal “seems to reek of hypocrisy”.

Liberal MP Tim Wilson said the complaint was a question for Mr Joyce. Picture: Kym Smith

Yesterday, Deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie noted that people wrote memoirs all the time and politicians told their stories in a variety of ways throughout their careers.

“I don’t think it’s up to me to actually be making commentary on the morality of that or otherwise,” she told ABC TV.

“What Barnaby Joyce and Vikki decide to do in their private life is their business.”

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan also said he did not want to run a commentary on Mr Joyce’s decision.

“It was a distraction in the earlier part of the year and obviously we don’t want to revisit that,” he told Sky News.

“But this isn’t my focus, this isn’t the focus of the government.”

Seven’s Sunday Night program reportedly won out in a bidding war with the Nine Network’s 60 Minutes to secure the exclusive interview.

Mr Joyce was forced to resign to the backbench after his relationship with Ms Campion, his former staffer, became public in February.

Their son was born in Armidale on April 16.

Mr Joyce said late in 2017 that he had split from his wife and mother of his four daughters, Natalie.

Originally published as Coalition MPs give verdict on Barnaby Joyce’s $150,000 paid interview on his new son Sebastian