There’s a lot that last night’s big Channel 7 interview with Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion didn’t address. Concerns over Campion’s redeployment within the Nationals Party and the couple’s use of travel allowances went unaired, as the former deputy prime minister and his ex-media advisor outlined the drama leading to son Sebastian’s birth.
One interesting nugget was disclosed, though: Joyce said the minute Campion fell pregnant as a result of their affair, which contributed to the end of his marriage with Natalie Joyce, he knew his tenure as deputy prime minister would come to an end.
But that fact didn’t stop him from slogging through the December by-election held as a result of his dual citizenship drama.
Speaking to Sunday Night, Joyce said “I knew the day would come where I’d have to step down.” Still, he charged head-first into the by-election without disclosing his personal circumstances to voters in his electorate, nor to the wider Australian public.
The couple also claimed that conservative elements of the Nationals advocated for Campion to terminate the pregnancy – Joyce called them “absolute scum of the Earth people” – but did not disclose exactly when Joyce’s parliamentary colleagues were made aware of their affair or the pregnancy.
The interview also revealed more about Joyce’s insistence on staying in the position despite the enormous level of media interest aimed at him and Campion.
When news of Campion’s pregnancy broke earlier this year, it took Joyce three weeks to stand down from his ministerial position. Joyce said that when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull publicly commented on the matter, it made him want to stick around out of “spite”.
“To be quite frank, I couldn’t give a shit about the political ramifications, really,” Joyce said.
The controversial interview, for which the couple were reportedly paid $150,000, comes after Joyce openly criticised the media for its interest in his tumultuous personal life. But even after it aired, there are still a boatload of questions.
