Miranda Devine throws doubt on Vikki Campion’s claim she was told to abort Barnaby Joyce’s baby

Miranda Devine has thrown doubt on Vikki Campion’s claim she was told to get an abortion when she discovered she was pregnant with Barnaby Joyce’s baby. 

Speaking out for the first time since the birth of her son Sebastian, Ms Campion revealed in a $150,000 interview on Sunday Night that she was pressured to terminate the pregnancy by ‘God fearing conservatives’. 

‘They said “you’re pregnant, and you have to get an abortion”, and I said “it’s too late, it has a heartbeat” and they said “if you don’t , they’re going to come after you”,’ Ms Campion said. 

Conservative columnist Miranda Devine questioned Ms Campion’s claim on Monday, saying: ‘I highly doubt that.’

  

Mr Joyce, 51, and his former media adviser spoke out about their affair on Channel Seven’s Sunday Night program with reporter Alex Cullen 

‘This nefarious tale about people, dark forces in the government trying to kill the baby? I doubt that!’ she said.

‘That’s a very dramatic construction to put on it and I think it will send shock waves through the National Party.’

Political editor Chris Uhlmann said the claim was ‘breathtaking’ and called for the couple to reveal who was responsible. 

‘Whoever it was that was telling Vikki that she needed to have an abortion is making an astonishing leap. One that they wouldn’t allow in almost any other circumstances. So that was the really breathtaking part for me,’ he said.

‘She doesn’t say who they are, and I think we need to know.

‘It might not have been parliamentarians, but now all Nationals have been tarred with this brush that someone in their ranks suggestion that someone have an abortion because [the pregnancy] would be inconvenient.’

Conservative columnist Miranda Devine questioned Ms Campion's claim on Monday, saying: 'I highly doubt that'

Conservative columnist Miranda Devine questioned Ms Campion’s claim on Monday, saying: ‘I highly doubt that’

Ms Campion said she had been threatened by 'conservatives' within the National party to terminate her pregnancy

Ms Campion said she had been threatened by ‘conservatives’ within the National party to terminate her pregnancy

The couple controversially accepted a $150,000 sum from the Seven Network to tell their side of the political scandal. 

After the interview aired, viewers slammed the ‘soft’ interview for failing to ask the tough questions. 

‘No questions over rorting travel and dodgy $190 thousand jobs set up for Campion,’ one Twitter user said.

‘Once again Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion took this opportunity to play the victims. Woe is us.’ 

The pair also failed to answer when the pair’s professional relationship turned romantic. 

Mr Joyce admitted he was good at averting the hard questions saying: ‘the good thing about being in politics for as long as I have, about twenty years, is that I know how to stop a question,’ he said. 

Ms Campion said she considered getting an abortion and bought the medicine 

Ms Campion said she considered getting an abortion and bought the medicine 

Ms Devine also questioned Mr Joyce’s future career in politics and why he did not step down as soon as he discovered his staffer was pregnant. 

‘Barnaby said he knew he would have to step down when the pregnancy test came back positive, well why prolong it?’ Ms Devine said.

‘Why not do that immediately rather than putting the Government through this political damage, and the country through this soap opera?

‘It would have been better for Vikki, the country, him and his four daughters.’

Ms Devine went on to say this was undoubtedly the end of Mr Joyce’s career in politics.

‘He was very derogatory about Canberra, Parliament House, the Government, Turnbull and his own National Party colleagues,’ she said.

'He was very derogatory about Canberra, Parliament House, the Government, Turnbull and his own National Party colleagues,' Ms Devine said 

‘He was very derogatory about Canberra, Parliament House, the Government, Turnbull and his own National Party colleagues,’ Ms Devine said 

‘It looks like he’s angling to get out. Which is a great pity because he is a great politician, and he’s done a lot for the country, but this is something you cannot resuscitate from.’

Mr Uhlmann said Mr Joyce was a ‘very talented politician’ but was ‘deeply damaged at the moment’.

He said the best thing for his future career is that he and Ms Campion ‘stay silent for a long, long time’.

Ms Devine joined many viewers when she said she was disappointed with the lack of depth in the interview.

‘What about the matters of public interest that weren’t touched on at all?’ Gardener said.

‘Well exactly, that he moved her from office to office, all the stories we were asking about,’ Ms Devine said.

Vikki Campion said she was pressured to get an abortion by conservative politicians after falling pregnant with Barnaby Joyce's baby (Pictured: baby Sebastian)

Vikki Campion said she was pressured to get an abortion by conservative politicians after falling pregnant with Barnaby Joyce’s baby (Pictured: baby Sebastian)

'No questions over rorting travel and dodgy $190 thousand jobs set up for Campion,' one Twitter user said

‘No questions over rorting travel and dodgy $190 thousand jobs set up for Campion,’ one Twitter user said

HOW THE BARNABY JOYCE AFFAIR UNFOLDED

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 16 – Sebastian Joyce born

May 8 – Baby boy seen for the first time

May 26 – Details emerge of Barnaby Joyce’s paid $150,000 interview

May 30 – Seven Network reveals Vikki Campion pressured to have abortion 

Source: AAP from media reports and official statements

 



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