“I'd like to say to Natalie how deeply sorry I am for all the hurt this has caused. To my girls how deeply sorry I am for all the hurt this has caused them. To Vikki Campion how deeply sorry I am that she has been dragged into this,” Joyce said during a short statement outside of Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday morning, Feb. 13.
“I'd like to also like to say to my supporters and people in my electorate how deeply sorry I am that this personal issue has gone into the public arena.”
During his brief statement, Joyce publicly confirmed his relationship with Campion, who is pregnant with his baby, but maintained that they were not in a relationship when she was working in his office.
“I am very aware of the ministerial code of conduct. It is without a shadow of a doubt that Vikki Campion is my partner now. But when she worked in my office, she was not my partner. When she worked in Matt Canavan’s office, she was not my partner. And Damian Drum was not a minister,” he added.
“Vikki Campion has also been the subject of unwanted and deeply hurtful commentary at a difficult time, particularly as we are having a child together in mid-April,” Joyce said in his written statement, released after his appearance in front of Parliament House.
“In 2016, Vikki worked on the election campaign and in August came to work on my staff. A friendship subsequently developed and that became, over time, more.
“In April last year she went to work for a senior colleague, Mr Canavan.
“She was well qualified for the role, was an existing and obviously capable staff member and the change was within the existing Nationals staff arrangement.
“I did not discuss these matters with the Prime Minister or his office as Vikki was not my partner, so they were dealt with in the usual course of staff deployments within the party,” he added.
Coalition Senator Ian Macdonald said Joyce was the only person who could resolve this private issue. He said whether the Deputy Prime Minister steps down was “a matter for Barnaby to determine.”
“While events regarding Barnaby’s private life … are disappointing, most importantly to his family and others, that doesn’t change the fact that Barnaby, over a long period of time in his public life, has dedicated himself to public service and the people he represents.”
“People cannot possibly know what people’s personal circumstances are and certainly I, and I would hope no one on my side of politics is going to participate in a public debate… I want to take about policy difference, not personal lives.”
News about Joyce’s affair with Campion and that they were expecting a child in mid-April came into the limelight on Feb. 7, shocking the Australian public. Joyce said that his 24-year marriage with his wife Natalie was “under pressure for some time.” He said that they tried to make it work again in April last year but that it didn’t work out.
Joyce announced his separation from Natalie in December 2017, but the two remain married at this time. They have four daughters together.
Here is the full statement that Joyce made to the media:
Natalie also made a public statement, asking for privacy for her family at this challenging time:
I understand that this affair has been going on for many months and started when she 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.
Our family life has had to be shared during Barnaby’s political career and it was with trust that we let campaign and office staff into our homes and into our lives.
Naturally we also feel deceived and hurt by the actions of Barnaby and the staff member involved.The situation for myself and the girls will be made worse by the fact that this will all be played out in public so at this time.
I would ask that the girls and I are given some privacy and time to come to terms with the consequences and take steps to plan our future.
From NTD.tv