Barnaby Joyce was reportedly almost an hour late for a taxpayer-funded Royal Australian Navy helicopter flight because he was checking on his sick staffer Vikki Campion.
The Nationals leader was Acting Prime Minister in April 2017 when the central Queensland town, Rockhampton, was severely flooded.
Mr Joyce, 50, was reportedly 45 minutes late for the chopper flight en route to the tour of the flood ravaged region, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Ms Campion, 33, his media adviser at the time, did not accompany Mr Joyce on the flight and instead stayed at Empire Hotel because she was unwell.
Barnaby Joyce (right) was reportedly almost an hour late for a taxpayer-funded Royal Australian Navy helicopter flight because he was checking on his staffer Vikki Campion (left) at a hotel
Mr Joyce, 50, was reportedly 45 minutes late for the chopper flight en route to the tour of the flood ravaged region
The Nationals leader was Acting Prime Minister in April 2017 when the central Queensland Rockhampton region was severely flooded (pictured)
Nationals chief whip Michelle Landry said she drove the Deputy Prime Minister to the airport for his flight home after he had checked on Ms Campion at the hotel.
‘One of his staffers [was] sick and I offered she could come to my home and she decided to stay where she was,’ Ms Landry told the publication.
Paperwork show the flight was meant to leave at 9am but left about 9.45am and arrived at the first destination, Clarke Creek, half an hour later, the publication reported.
Attending the worst affected flooded towns in the region was Mr Joyce’s first act in the top role while Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was attending talks in Indian and Papua New Guinea.
Mr Joyce’s spokesman said delays were caused by confusion over helicopter takeoff points.
The revelations come after the pair sat down for their first interview together since the news of their affair became public this month.
Paperwork show the flight was meant to leave at 9am but left about 9.45am and arrived at the first destination, Clarke Creek, half an hour later,
Ms Campion, 33, (pictured) his media adviser at the time, did not accompany Mr Joyce on the flight and instead stayed at Empire Hotel because she was unwell
Paperwork show the flight was meant to leave at 9am but left about 9.45am and arrived at the first destination, Clarke Creek, half an hour later, the publication reported
Due to have their baby in April, Ms Campion reportedly refused to be photographed at the townhouse in Armidale because she was uncomfortable with the media attention.
Speaking about the way the scandal has attracted national attention, he said: ‘I don’t want our child to grow up as some sort of public display. I have to stop it from the start.’
Despite calls for the Deputy Prime Minister to resign, Mr Joyce said he had the support of local Nationals but admitted the scandal had dragged on longer than he wanted.
Mr Joyce’s spokesman said delays were caused by confusion over helicopter takeoff points