Wife wants Deputy PM to keep his job
Natalie Joyce has made her first public appearance since news broke of her husband’s affair, and made some surprising comments.
Canberra: Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s wife has reportedly said she wants her husband to keep his job, despite the pain his affair has caused the family.
She made her first public appearance since news of the affair broke on Saturday, attending a birthday party cruise for National Party donor Kirsty Berger.
It was reported by the Daily Telegraph that Mrs Joyce told close friends she wanted to see the Deputy Prime Minister stay put. Friends told the newspaper Mrs Joyce was reluctant to give a major media interview because she wanted him to maintain his position as leader of the National Party. She was pictured at the party sipping pink champagne with political lobbyist Michael Kauter and his partner David Gracey.
Mr Joyce has faced a tumultuous two weeks since news broke that his former media adviser turned girlfriend, Vikki Campion, was carrying his child.
The revelations saw Mr Joyce apologise to his wife, daughters and Ms Campion, but refuse to stand down over the saga.
Mrs Joyce previously told the
Daily Telegraph of the “hurt” she suffered at learning about the affair and pregnancy.
Putting her own career on hold to support her husband, Mrs Joyce said her trust was shattered.
In a statement after the news broke she said she understood the affair had been going on for many months when Ms Campion was a paid employee.
“This situation is devastating on many fronts — for my girls who are affected by the family breakdown and for me as a wife of 24 years, who placed my own career on hold to support Barnaby through his political life,” she said. Meanwhile, a defiant Mr Joyce, who is currently on leave, has insisted he isn’t going anywhere and will fight to stay put.
In an interview with Fairfax, the embattled Nationals leader also hosed down a suggestion that a phone hook-up of Nationals Party officials yesterday meant anything since the “leader of the Nationals is decided by Nationals MPs”.
“I’ve been in heaps of fights in my political life, this is another one, in any person’s political career you aren’t created by the times in your favour, you’re tempered by the times of adversity.
“That’s how politics works — you rise to deal with it,” he said. His comments come amid revelations that allies of Mr Joyce believe the PM’s office is working with journalists to leak information about him, further destabilising Mr Joyce’s position.