Nothing inappropriate about Barnaby’s spending during affair: PM

Malcolm Turnbull has reassured Bill Shorten that no money was inappropriately spent during Barnaby Joyce’s affair.

Barnaby Joyce with his wife Natalie before the split. Picture: Catherine Clifford

Malcolm Turnbull is not aware of any public money being spent inappropriately to manage Barnaby Joyce’s relationship with former staff member Vikki Campion, who is now pregnant with his child.

Bill Shorten had urged the Prime Minister to “reassure” Australians “nothing untoward” had happened prior to revelations this week that Ms Campion, 32, is pregnant with the Deputy Prime Minister’s fifth child after working as his media adviser.

She later moved to Nationals senator Matthew Canavan’s office as rumours of their relationship spread. Ms Campion worked for Senator Canavan until he quit cabinet to have his eligibility tested before the High Court in the dual citizenship saga, and she was absorbed back into Mr Joyce’s office.

Within weeks, the government approved another move to the office of former Nationals chief whip Damian Drum, before she was made redundant in December.

“I am not aware of any inappropriate expenditure of public funds,” Mr Turnbull said.

Mr Joyce said earlier this week the “issue” had been FOI-ed by media “for a very long period of time” and “nothing has been found, because there’s nothing there”.

He claimed Freedom of Information requests had shown he had never misused taxpayer funds on travel with his new partner.

None of the FOI requests showed anything publicly; they were all refused.

“They have FOI-ed everything to do with my travel ... there’s nothing there,’’ Mr Joyce said.

“I mean, it’s not a case of conducting, using taxpayers’ funds to conduct other things than what is your business. And my business is to represent the people of New England and to represent people in Australia.”

The Opposition Leader cautiously pointed out Mr Joyce’s private life was his own business.

“I’ve never been one to moralise about other people’s relationships and I’m not about to start now and I certainly feel for everyone. To have this dragged out in the public, it’s hard,” Mr Shorten said.

“I think it would be wise for Mr Turnbull to reassure the Australian public that nothing untoward has occurred here.”

Mr Turnbull would not confirm if he personally counselled Mr Joyce to remove Ms Campion from his office.

He earlier reached out to Barnaby Joyce’s wife, Natalie, and their daughters, saying he was “very conscious of the hurt” they were going through.

“These private matters are always very distressing for those involved, I don’t want to add to the public discussion about it. I am very conscious of the distress this causes to others in particular to Natalie Joyce and her and Barnaby’s daughters,” Mr Turnbull said.

“It is a tough and distressing episode and I am very conscious of the hurt occasioned to Natalie and their daughters in particular so that is why I don't want to contribute to the discussion about it.”

The Daily Telegraph in Sydney reported this morning Mr Joyce’s affair created dysfunction in his office and lead to the exit of Ms Campion and Mr Joyce’s former chief of staff Diana Hallam. The newspaper reported Senator Canavan created a new job in his office for Ms Campion, as head of his social media platforms, when the 33-year-old left the office of Mr Joyce.

Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne said it was “highly unlikely” anything inappropriate happened with Ms Campion’s employment in Senator Canavan’s office.

“I don’t want to go down the track where I become the spokesman for the private lives of my cabinet colleagues, I think that is a bit unfair on me,” Mr Pyne told Nine Network this morning.

“I’m not in the gun on his story and I think it is highly unlikely anything untoward occurred, I’m sure it was all entirely appropriate.”

Mr Turnbull rejected the need for Australia to follow the US and ban MPs from sleeping with their staff members.

“Adults, particularly elected officials, members of parliament, ministers, all have to be accountable for their actions, as grown ups we are all accountable for our actions and the relations between consenting adults is not something that normally you would be justified in seeking o regulate,” he said.

“Adults can conduct their relationships, if it is consensual, respectful, that is their right.

“But all of us have to be accountable for how we live our lives and of course Barnaby has been accountable, you have seen him on the 7.30 report he has been very upfront about it.”