Barnaby Joyce 'cannot access' $150,000 for tell-all interview

The $150,000 Barnaby Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion are reportedly to be paid for a TV interview will go to their son Sebastian reports suggest.

Barnaby Joyce in Question Time in Parliament House.

Barnaby Joyce has agreed to a paid television interview over the scandal of his affair. (AAP)

Cabinet ministers have refused to buy into reports the $150,000 from Barnaby Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion's tell-all interview will go to their baby.

But one has warned the Turnbull government's doesn't want to revisit the saga which dominated headlines for weeks.

An industry insider has told News Corp the money from the sit-down TV interview will be held in trust for six-week-old Sebastian.
Barnaby Joyce's partner Vikki Campion has given birth to their child.
Barnaby Joyce and partner Vikki Campion. Source: AAP
"The baby's parents have no say in it and cannot access it," the insider said.

"Lawyers ultimately get to decide if it should be accessed for the child's education or if it will go to the child as a lump sum when he gets to 18 or possibly older."

Even if he does not profit from the interview, Mr Joyce will still have to declare it on the parliamentary register of members' interests.

Mr Joyce, who urged the media to "move on" in an unpaid interview with Fairfax in February, was forced to resign to the backbench as a result of the scandal.
Deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie noted people write memoirs all the time and politicians tell their stories in a variety of ways throughout their careers.

"I don't think it's up to me to actually be making commentary on the morality of that or otherwise," she told ABC TV on Sunday.

"What Barnaby Joyce and Vikki decide to do in their private life is their business."

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan also did not want to run a commentary on Mr Joyce's decision.

"It was a distraction in the earlier part of the year and obviously we don't want to revisit that," he told Sky News.

"But this isn't my focus, this isn't the focus of the government."

Seven's Sunday Night program reportedly won out in a bidding war with the Nine Network's 60 Minutes to secure the exclusive interview.

Mr Joyce said late in 2017 that he had split from his wife and mother of his four daughters, Natalie.

The relationship with Ms Campion, his former staffer, became public from February 7. Sebastian was born in Armidale on April 16.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Mr Joyce had not breached any ministerial standards because Ms Campion had not been his "partner" when she worked for him.

But Mr Turnbull went on to criticise Mr Joyce for exercising a "shocking error of judgment" before banning ministers from having sexual relationships with staff.


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3 min read
Published 27 May 2018 9:06am
Updated 27 May 2018 9:45am


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