Channel 7 releases second Joyce-Campion video after interview backlash

AFTER a day of backlash from its “soft” interview, Seven has dropped a part two, revealing the answers viewers “didn’t see”.

ALMOST immediately after Channel 7’s exclusive interview with Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion went to air on Sunday night, the network was copping backlash left, right and centre.

Interviewer Alex Cullen came under fire for not asking the couple the “important” questions including whether or not the couple had misused funds from the public purse for travel and whether or not Mr Joyce had helped his then-secret lover get a lucrative job with the National Party.

But the network has hit back, posting a part two of its maligned Sunday Night interview.

Retweeting the Seven News video, Cullen wrote “For those who asked”.

Before releasing the second video, Cullen had doubled down on Sunday Night’s decision to keep it about the couple’s relationship and their newborn son.

Cullen said Mr Joyce had denied any wrongdoing and that his denial meant the politician had offered “nothing new”.

I’d like to make it clear that q’s about Joyce’s alleged tax-payer funded travel rorts and claims of sexual misconduct were asked in our @sundaynighton7 I/V. The response to these q’s was the same as we’ve heard time and time again. Vehemently denied hence nothing new. #Auspol

— Alex Cullen (@alextcullen) June 4, 2018

But the network backflipped on its decision, posting the video last night, which features everything from the social media slurs thrown at Ms Campion to the former Nationals staffer claiming she is owed money for her work in Parliament.

In “the exchanges viewers didn’t see”, Ms Campion told Cullen the sorts of insults thrown at her after news broke that she was pregnant with Mr Joyce’s baby.

“I’m a rent-a-root,” Ms Campion said, quoting something she’d seen on social media and gesturing with air quotes.

“Yeah,” Mr Joyce replied, coupling it with an awkward laugh.

Vikki Campion and Barnaby Joyce on Channel 7’s Sunday Night.

The former deputy PM, who this morning insisted he would recontest the seat of New England at the next election, also touched on allegations the pair took a number of trips on the public purse.

“They have investigated this to death,” Mr Joyce said, claiming he’s gone through comprehensive questioning by the Parliamentary Expenses Authority.

“I’ve had like 160 inquiries and at this point not one, not one, has come up saying ‘Oh, this is a problem’.”

Ms Campion is also having her expenses investigated, the couple revealed.

“They have found that they actually owe me money,” she said.

It’s previously been reported that two high-paying jobs were created for Ms Campion to shift her out of Mr Joyce’s office after their affair started.

But Ms Campion claimed she took a number of pay cuts to work with the Nationals, telling Sunday Night her previous job with the NSW government was much more lucrative than working for Mr Joyce or Nationals Senator Matt Canavan.

“I actually took a big pay cut,” Ms Campion said, referring to her job with former Nationals Whip Damien Drum. The former staffer also said she received no maternity leave after leaving the parliament job.

“My wage actually dropped significantly,” she said.

For those who asked. #auspol https://t.co/RR4F8g2upK

— Alex Cullen (@alextcullen) June 4, 2018

Mr Joyce stood down as deputy prime minister in February, the same month a photo of a heavily pregnant Ms Campion was splashed across the front page of the Daily Telegraph.

But Mr Joyce said it wasn’t the news of the baby that forced him to stand down, instead it was allegations of sexual harassment against him.

“This is garbage and the purpose of this, I believe, was to force me out of my job,” he said.

Speaking to reporters earlier today, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull denied the couple’s allegations Ms Campion had been told by people in parliament to get an abortion — people Mr Joyce described as “the scum of the Earth”.

“I’m not aware of anybody doing that to anyone,” Mr Turnbull said.

The Joyce-Campion interview was also addressed on Monday night’s episode of Q&A with Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie admitting she was worried about the former deputy PM’s mental health.

“Look, I’m going to be very brutally honest and I have been about this all there way through. This is beyond a midlife crisis. This is not the Barnaby Joyce I know. I am concerned about his mental welfare. I’m not going to sit here and kick them while he’s down and out. My heart is going out to him and both of them,” she said.

“But if you can’t keep it in your pants you’re going to pay the price. It’s as simple as that and he’s now paying the price for that.”