Barnaby Joyce’s family racks up $6000 travel bill

Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion charged taxpayers $6000-plus to travel to a pro-live sheep export forum in Western Australia.

Vikki Campion, baby Sebastian and Barnaby Joyce arrive in Perth for the Katanning rally. Picture: Channel 9

Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion charged taxpayers more than $6000 to travel to a pro-live sheep export forum in Western Australia, where organisers were split over whether the former deputy prime minister should attend.

Defending his decision to bring Ms Campion and son Sebastian, Mr Joyce said yesterday the claim was allowed under MP entitlements and he was invited to speak at the forum, organised by the WA Farmers Federation.

The Nationals MP billed taxpayers $806 for two nights’ accommodation, $4880 for flights from home-town Tamworth and more than $300 in Comcar costs.

The forum was held in the WA town of Katanning in July last year, before the backbencher was appointed by Scott Morrison as the government’s drought envoy.

“I would not have gone if I was not invited,” Mr Joyce said.

In the lead-up to the event, local media reported senior figures in the WA farming community did not want Mr Joyce at the rally, given his sour relationship with the Nationals’ state organisation and allegations he acted inappropriately towards Broome councillor Catherine Marriott.

Mr Joyce was forced to quit as Nationals leader last year after revelations he had an affair with Ms Campion, his former media ­adviser. The New England MP was forced to defend his use of taxpayer expenses and was cleared by a subsequent investigation.

Before the event, WA Farmers Federation president Tony York said Mr Joyce would not be speaking at the forum.

Mr York said yesterday the state’s farm lobby was divided about whether Mr Joyce should attend the rally. He said Mr Joyce was invited by a member of the lobby before it was agreed by the entire leadership group.

“There was a discussion about whether he should be invited or not and he did get an informal invitation from some of our members,” Mr York said. “On the basis of that he came across and we had to find a spot (for him to speak).

“We hadn’t formally invited him but he did receive an invitation from our office. It was an internal thing … an unofficial invitation … and he responded to that. It was not a good reflection on the organisation but Barnaby was pressing to come and he had been talking to some of our members and making himself available and took advantage of the invitation.

“It did look a bit messy at the time in the west. But the bottom line is, he was invited.”