Barnaby Joyce believes its ‘insane’ that MP’s can’t hire partners

Barnaby Joyce has labelled a federal government policy that partners cannot work for MP’s as ‘insane’.

Mr Joyce welcomed baby boy Sebastian into the world with partner Vikki Campion on Friday.   

In a statement on ABC’s National Wrap, the former Deputy Prime Minister said partners of federal politicians should be allowed to work for MPs in Canberra.

Barnaby Joyce (pictured) labelled a Coalition policy that partners cannot work for MP’s as ‘insane’ in an interview with ABC on Sunday night 

‘It’s insane to think that if she (Vikki) did want to work for me, she couldn’t,’ he said. 

His position directly contradicts that of boss, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who does not allow family members to work with politicians.

Mr Joyce said he believed a change to the policy would help keep families together and would not amount to a conflict of interest.

And he says it’s ‘insane’ that someone qualified for a job can not do it because of their relationship.

Mr Joyce welcomed baby boy Sebastian into the world with partner Vikki Campion (pictured) on Friday. 

Mr Joyce welcomed baby boy Sebastian into the world with partner Vikki Campion (pictured) on Friday. 

‘Canberra’s a weird place,’ Mr Joyce said.

‘It’s like a big old boarding school up on the hill …everyone travels from miles away to get there.

‘We should be making changes to make sure families stick together as much as possible.  

‘And we should be allowing partners, as much as possible, to be there as well.’ 

The baby was born on Monday at Armidale Hospital and weighed eight pounds and seven ounces – 3.8kilograms – at birth. 

Mr Joyce told the program he is enjoying hanging around the dinner table with his new family. 

Mr Joyce (pictured left) said he believed a change to the policy would help keep families together and would not amount to a conflict of interest.  He is pictured with Vikki Campion at a Sydney bar in 2017. 

Mr Joyce (pictured left) said he believed a change to the policy would help keep families together and would not amount to a conflict of interest.  He is pictured with Vikki Campion at a Sydney bar in 2017. 

‘We are just enjoying our own company, just trying to be a family, and hanging around the dinner table, and I really enjoy that,’ he said.  

‘I know it’s peculiar circumstances and people have their pluses and minuses about it,’ he said.

‘But I’m going to try to do the very best job I possibly can and make sure that Seb has the very best dad he can possibly get.’      

The news of Ms Campion’s pregnancy in February led to Mr Joyce’s downfall as Malcolm Turnbull’s deputy.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion have welcomed their baby boy

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion have welcomed their baby boy

Baby Sebastian is Mr Joyce’s fifth child and first son, and follows the four daughters he shared with estranged wife Natalie Joyce. 

Mr Joyce celebrated his own birthday just a day later, turning 51 on Tuesday.

‘We are very happy and just taking it quietly,’ Mr Joyce told Fairfax Media on Friday afternoon.  

Mr Joyce has previously said he did not want his child with Ms Campion, 33, to grow up ‘as some sort of public display’. 

He is understood to have requested personal leave in anticipation of the baby’s arrival. 

During the couple’s first public comments on their relationship in February, Ms Campion said their son’s middle names would be given in honour of her brother.

Named Sebastian, the baby was born on Monday and weighed eight pounds and seven ounces - 3.8kilograms - at birth

Named Sebastian, the baby was born on Monday and weighed eight pounds and seven ounces – 3.8kilograms – at birth

Baby Sebastian is Mr Joyce's fifth child and first son, and follows the four daughters he shared with estranged wife Natalie Joyce

Baby Sebastian is Mr Joyce’s fifth child and first son, and follows the four daughters he shared with estranged wife Natalie Joyce

Mr Joyce lost his cabinet position and the Nationals leadership after it was revealed he and Ms Campion, his former media adviser, were expecting a child. 

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull later introduced a ban on ministers having sexual relations with their staff.

In a March interview Mr Joyce cast doubt on the paternity of the child, calling it a ‘bit of a grey area’, but later conceded those comments were a mistake.  

When asked after the baby’s birth whether the date ended any paternity doubts, Mr Joyce said that it did. 

The Barnaby Joyce affair – Timeline

2016

May – Vikki Campion assists Barnaby Joyce’s election campaign as media adviser, having previously worked with NSW government ministers and News Corp

August – Campion joins Joyce’s staff. She splits with fiance John Bergin, three months before they were due to wed. Friendship develops between Joyce and Campion

December – Chief of staff Di Hallam reportedly seeks Joyce’s approval to have Campion transferred out of office. Hallam later quits to take up departmental role

2017

February – Campion is photographed in a Sydney bar with Joyce, as revealed by Daily Mail Australia

April – Barnaby’s wife Natalie reportedly confronts Campion in Tamworth. Campion goes to minister Matt Canavan office as adviser. Natalie and Barnaby seek to make marriage work

May – At New South Wales Nationals conference in Broken Hill colleagues describe Joyce as ‘a mess’

June – Natalie and Barnaby show up together at Canberra press gallery midwinter ball

July – Campion leaves her $191,000 job in Mr Canavan’s office after he quits frontbench over citizenship. She temporarily goes back to Joyce’s office

August – Campion moves to Damian Drum’s office in a social media adviser position specially created for her. He already has a media adviser. In this time she oversees just 50 posts to Facebook

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is reportedly reassured by Joyce the relationship with Campion is over. Drum says he was told the same thing. Former Joyce chief of staff Di Hallam takes up a senior position with the Inland Rail project

September – Natalie reportedly asks family friend, Catholic priest Father Frank Brennan, to counsel Joyce. Campion is seen managing Joyce media events at federal Nationals conference in Canberra

October – Campion reportedly takes stress leave. Writ issued for New England by-election after Joyce quits over dual citizenship

November – Natalie holidays in Bali with a daughter. Man in a pub in Inverell angers Joyce during election campaign by reportedly saying: ‘Say hello to your mistress’

December – Joyce wins by-election. Joyce tells parliament during same-sex marriage debate he is separated. Campion’s redundancy package is approved. They move into an Armidale property provided rent-free by businessman Greg Maguire

2018

January – Joyce and Campion holiday in north Queensland and NSW north coast

February – Joyce tells reporters Campion is now his partner. But denies she was his partner when she worked in Canavan’s office

March – Joyce casts doubt on the baby’s paternity, calling it a ‘grey area’ and claiming journalists never asked him if Ms Campion’s child was his 

April 20 – Joyce-Campion baby is born

Source: AAP from media reports and official statements



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