Barnaby Joyce told to ‘fix your mess’ by John Anderson

John ­Anderson has called on Barnaby Joyce to take “direct responsibility’’ for resolving the political damage over his affair.

Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce in question time yesterday. Picture: AAP

Former Nationals leader John ­Anderson has called on Barnaby Joyce to take “direct responsibility” for resolving the political damage inflicted by his affair with former staffer Vikki Campion, as pressure mounts on the Deputy Prime Minister to resign.

Mr Anderson, who served as John Howard’s deputy prime minister, warned the current Nationals leader and his colleagues that, unless they took matters “into their own hands”, the issue would spiral out of control and “end even more messily”.

His warning came as a growing number of government MPs described Mr Joyce’s position as “untenable”. Liberal MPs already fear a “Bronwyn Bishop-style crisis that drags on and on”, with some casting doubt over the ability of Mr Joyce to serve as acting prime ­minister when Malcolm Turnbull leaves next week on a delegation to the US.

The Prime Minister’s office has denied knowledge of the relationship, saying Mr Turnbull did not ­approve the transfer of Ms Campion from Mr Joyce’s office to highly paid positions with Resources Minister Matt Canavan — where she was in line to earn up to $191,084 — and Nationals whip Damian Drum.

Mr Turnbull shifted responsibility for the internal staff movements of Ms Campion to Mr Joyce, saying that approval for any changes needed to be given by the Nationals. He said his office had an administrative responsibility for “informing the Department of Finance”.

Mr Drum yesterday confirmed Ms Campion was the highest-paid member of his office and pushed up his staff allocation from six to seven when she joined last August, adding that the extra position came at the expense of one of his party colleague’s offices.

Mr Drum also revealed he was assured that rumours Ms Campion was in a relationship with Mr Joyce were not true when she joined his office.

“There were rumours around the parliament that something was going on, but certainly at the time that Vikki came to work in my office, my understanding was that it was no longer an ongoing affair,” he told ABC yesterday.

“The then chief of staff told me (that). What you have to ask is when does a casual relationship become a regular relationship? When does that become a formal relationship? When does that ­become a girlfriend?”

It was reported last night Mr Joyce also assured Mr Turnbull in August last year that the affair was over.

A new allegation was also ­levelled against the Deputy Prime Minister last night, with The Daily Telegraph reporting Mr Turnbull’s principal private secretary Sally Cray was told in 2015 that Mr Joyce had pinched a woman’s bottom at a rural women’s awards function four years earlier.

John Clements, a former staff member for Mr Joyce’s long-term political rival Tony Windsor, reportedly raised the allegation with Ms Cray who looked into the claims but did not take it further as there was no official complaint and no evidence of wrongdoing. Mr Joyce denies the allegation.

In an interview with The Australian yesterday, Mr Anderson said the issue of Mr Joyce’s affair with Ms Campion, who is expecting their baby in April, and claims of misuse of taxpayer funds in her job appointments were “damaging the government, the Coalition and the National Party”.

“The buck stops with the leader of the National Party and National senators and MPs,” Mr Anderson said. “The issue is creating a ­problem within the National Party and for the government and must be resolved.

“History shows that if you do not take responsibility for ­resolving such a problem it develops a life of its own and the whole thing will end even more messily.”

Mr Anderson did not call for Mr Joyce to step down, but said Nationals MPs and senators needed to resolve the issue themselves amid attempts by Labor to link the Prime Minister to the affair.

At a 90-minute Nationals ­partyroom meeting yesterday, Mr Joyce addressed his relationship with Ms Campion, acknowledging the current political difficulties it had caused the government.

There was a “robust” but “healthy discussion” on the issue, with some Nationals MPs in ­attendance of the private view that Mr Joyce’s leadership was in jeopardy and would be derailed if further revelations emerged.

The Australian understands there were no obvious signs Mr Joyce could face a leadership challenge, with MPs keen to be seen as supportive of him.

Deep disquiet was emerging within the senior ranks of the Turnbull ministry last night over the damage to the government. However, there were conflicting views on whether Mr Joyce should resign.

One minister told The Australian the concern was that there ­appeared to be no end to the scandal in sight and it would continue to drag down the government.

Another said it could only be resolved by the Nationals and they appeared impotent to deal with it.

“You just don’t know where this is going to go,” one senior minister said.

Another said the scandal needed to be cauterised and the only way was for Mr Joyce to resign.

Former Nationals leader and deputy prime minister Warren Truss told The Australian that the affair had “diminished Barnaby in some people’s eyes” but his ­position would remain safe so long as he was able to “get on with the job of managing his portfolios ­effectively (and) playing a key role in government decision-making”.

Mr Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison used question time to sheet home responsibility for the internal staff movements of Ms Campion to Mr Joyce.

“I’m ­advised the Nationals are provided with a number of personal staff positions as a share of the government’s overall staffing pool,” Mr Turnbull said.

“The distribution of those staff members ­between Nationals offices is a ­matter for the National Party ... I’m further advised that at no time did the Nationals fill all ­vacant staffing positions.”

The ministerial standards state: “Ministers’ close relatives and partners are not to be appointed to positions in their ministerial or electorate offices, and must not be employed in the offices of other members of the executive government without the Prime Minister’s express approval.”

A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office said Mr Joyce did not breach the ministerial code of conduct because “Ms Campion was not his partner at the time of the staff appointments” and that the “Prime Minister was not aware of the relationship”.

Liberal senator Ian Macdonald said details over the affair needed to be “clarified and resolved by the Nationals as soon as possible”, given that, during Mr Turnbull’s US trip, Mr Joyce would be acting prime minister.

“It would be difficult for him (Mr Joyce) to discharge the duties of that very high office if this issue is hanging over our heads,” Senator Macdonald said.