Barnaby Joyce’s salary doubles after winning leadership spill

The new Deputy PM will see his salary more than double, after previously revealing he was so broke he had to slaughter his own farm animals.

Resurrected Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce once complained he was so skint he was forced to kill his own meat – but he’s now doubled his pay by returning to the fold as Deputy Prime Minister on $433,575 a year.

The father of six will secure a whopping pay rise in his next pay packet that will increase his pay from his current salary of $211,500 as a backbencher.

Two years ago, the MP revealed he was doing it tough and was slaughtering his own farm animals to help reduce his grocery bill.

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Barnaby Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion pictured at Canberra airport. Picture: Kym Smith

Mr Joyce beat Michael McCormack in a leadership spill on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

While he accepted that his $200,000-a-year salary was nothing to complain about, he admitted that with four daughters from his first marriage to help support and his new partner and two young boys, it was harder than it might appear for the former accountant.

“It’s not that I’m not getting money, it’s just that it’s spread so thin,” he said.

“I’m on an incredibly good salary. I say it over and over again. Because otherwise people would say, ‘You’re full of it’.

“You’re on $211,000 a year for God’s sake. I get that. But it’s not just for me. I split it, I cover all my responsibilities and then you live with what you’ve got left.

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Barnaby Joyce during Question Time at Parliament House on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman.

“I am lucky I live in the country, so I kill my own meat. That saves an awful amount of money because meat is incredibly expensive. You don’t live without.
“I’m just saying these circumstances have made me more vastly attuned … it’s just a great exercise in humility going from deputy prime minister to watching every dollar you get.”
Mr Joyce revealed that at the time, he was living in a townhouse and had to wash his own dishes.
“A politician (renting a duplex without a dishwasher) for 415 bucks a week, he’s not living high on the hog, is he?” Mr Joyce said.
His new salary will be $433,575 as soon as he is sworn in as Deputy PM and he will also return to cabinet.

Earlier today, Mr Joyce vowed he was a “better person” after he resigned in a storm of controversy three years ago in the wake of a romantic affair with staffer Vikki Campion and allegations of sexual harassment that he firmly denies.

It was Mr Joyce’s romance with his former press secretary, who is now the mother of his two sons, that prompted former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to implement a “bonk ban” for ministers to preclude them having sex with their own staff.

The Joyce women (from left) Odette, Bridgette, mum Natalie, Caroline and Julia.

Mr Joyce told reporters on Monday that he had resigned from the leadership in 2018 in the best interests of the National Party.

“Well, I acknowledge my faults. And I resigned as I should and I did,” Mr Joyce said.

“I’ve spent three years on the backbench and you know, I hope I come back a better person. I don’t walk away from the fact that you have to have time to consider, not only the effect on yourself, but more importantly, the effect on others. I’ve done that.

“I don’t want to dwell on the personal, except to say – hopefully one learns from their mistakes and makes a better person of themselves.”

Asked about the specific allegation of sexual harassment that was investigated by the Nationals, Mr Joyce said he “completely denied it” but felt he needed to resign at the time to end the speculation.

“Let’s start with the most difficult one first. I believe that you had to clear the air, that even though I absolutely clearly say that if there was ever an issue of that sort, it should be taken to the police, I completely deny it,” he said.

Vikki Campion and Barnaby Joyce now have two sons. Picture: Channel 7

“(I) said that they were spurious and defamatory. Nonetheless, for the sake of my party, I did not want to be litigating that one at the dispatch box. With other issues, I can and I won’t start telling other people how they should start thinking of other people. I will always try to be the better person. I acknowledge my faults. I resigned, I’ve spent three years on the backbench. I don’t walk away from making sure that I can be a better person to do a better job. And I’m reminded by that by the people that I love dearly – my four daughters and my two sons and Vikki.”

Mr Joyce attended the press conference this afternoon with his deputy, David Littleproud, and Victorian Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie after he successfully defeated sitting Nationals leader Michael McCormack in a leadership spill.