The Daily Telegraph

Australian coalition in crisis over deputy leader’s affair

- By Jonathan Pearlman in Sydney

BARNABY JOYCE, Australia’s deputy prime minister, has made an extraordin­ary attack on Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, for making hurtful comments about his affair with an adviser, as the scandal descended into allout war in the ruling coalition.

Rejecting Mr Turnbull’s suggestion that he should consider resigning, Mr Joyce, the leader of the rural-based National Party, held an angry press conference, in which he accused Mr Turnbull, leader of the Liberal Party, of worsening his family’s turmoil.

Mr Joyce, 50, has left his wife of 24 years – and the mother of his four daughters – after having an affair with his adviser, Vikki Campion, 33, who is pregnant. The affair led to Mr Turnbull moving to ban sexual relations between ministers and their staff.

“Comments by the prime minister yesterday at his press conference... I have to say that… they caused further harm,” Mr Joyce said. “I believe they were in many instances inept and most definitely in many instances unnecessar­y. All it does is reinvest in the hurt that’s being felt by other people.”

Mr Joyce refused to resign despite Mr Turnbull publicly scolding his “shocking error of judgment” and repeatedly demanding that the deputy leader consider his position.

The revelation has dominated front pages and led to a series of claims about whether Mr Joyce misused expenses or breached ministeria­l guidelines.

But the scandal is now causing serious political damage and has created a rift between the two coalition partners.

Mr Joyce, who wears a cowboy hat and has long been known for speaking his mind, criticised Mr Turnbull for intervenin­g in internal National Party matters. Asked about his current relations with Mr Turnbull, Mr Joyce said: “I am intending to make sure that, like all relationsh­ips, this relationsh­ip gets back on to an even keel.”

Mr Joyce has received the backing of his party. He is popular in rural areas though surveys indicate that the news is damaging his approval ratings.

Attempting to bring an end to the crisis, Mr Turnbull on Thursday held a press conference and announced a ban on ministers having sex with staff.

Analysts said Mr Turnbull’s public admonishme­nt had created a schism in the coalition and was likely to end with Mr Joyce’s resignatio­n.

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