Barnaby insists paternity a ‘grey area’

Barnaby Joyce told Nationals officials three months ago he did not believe he was the father of Vikki Campion’s unborn baby.

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

Barnaby Joyce told Nationals officials three months ago he did not believe he was the father of former staffer Vikki Campion’s unborn baby because he was travelling overseas at the suspected time of conception.

The former deputy prime minister revived interest in his personal life yesterday by saying the issue of the child’s paternity was a “grey area” and lashed out at the ongoing media scrutiny of his relationship with Ms Campion.

Despite declaring several times when announcing his resignation on February 23 that the focus on his personal life has “got to stop”, Mr Joyce has continued to drive coverage by giving several interviews to Fairfax publications.

This morning, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said Barnaby Joyce may have been trying to sabotage the government when he spoke out about uncertainty over the paternity of his partner’s unborn child over the weekend.

Mr Joyce moved to the backbench last week amid a growing political crisis over his affair that derailed the government’s agenda, fractured the Coalition and led to the implementation of a contentious “sex ban” between ministers and their staff.

During the New England by-election campaign, Mr Joyce was questioned by Nationals officials as to whether Ms Campion was pregnant and whether the baby was his.

The then-deputy prime minister said be believed he could not be the father if she was pregnant because he was travelling overseas on official business in Britain, Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy between June 23 and July 5.

Ms Campion is expecting to give birth next month.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull refused to comment yesterday. “The matters in the papers today relating to Barnaby and Ms Campion are matters for them to resolve. I don’t have any comments to make on it all,” he said. Tasmanian senator Eric Abetz also declined to comment, but ­acknowledged the issue was a distraction.

Queensland Nationals MP ­Michelle Landry, a supporter of Mr Joyce, said the issue was a huge distraction and had taken attention away from important issues.

“People need to let them get on with their lives,’’ she said. “He stood down as leader, stood down as deputy prime minister and he did that to protect his girls, his ex-wife and his new partner.

“What more can he do? He has stood down from one of the ­highest positions in this country.”

Australian feminist Eva Cox backed Mr Joyce for saying he was prepared to raise the child as his own regardless of the uncertainty over the identity of the father. “He intends to rear the child and good on him,” she said. “He obviously feels responsibility and is prepared to take on the responsibility and is not going to have a paternity test. He is prepared to act in a way that shows a certain level of character and good will.”

Mr Joyce issued a statement yesterday explaining why he had decided to cast doubt over whether he was the father of Ms Campion’s baby. He said he had “no choice” but to tell the story.

“This issue has continued to be pursued by media despite my ­resignation, with paparazzi waiting for us at our gate at the airport on Friday and an upcoming ­appearance by a Daily Telegraph journalist on ABC’s Q&A on Monday night,” he said.

“We felt we had no choice but to tell the story. Despite other allegations by media and political types used as a proxy to attack us for being together, none of those allegations has been proven true.”

Additional reporting: Charlie Peel