The estranged wife of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce does not want her husband to lose his job as leader of the Nationals, despite the fact his affair with media advisor Vikki Campion led to the break down of her marriage.
Friends of Natalie Joyce, who was married to Barnaby Joyce for nearly 25 years, told the Daily Telegraph the mum-of-four did not want the father of her daughters to lose his job.
The Telegraph reported Ms Joyce is still “loyal” to her estranged husband, and has “voiced concerns” about his colleagues undermining him and calling for his resignation as leader of the National Party.
The report comes in the wake of Ms Joyce making her first public appearance since news of Mr Joyce’s affair broke two weeks ago – and the impending arrival of his baby with Ms Campion – at a party for a Nationals and Liberal Party donor on the Sydney harbour.
The Daily Telegraph’s story on Tuesday also comes a fortnight after she first spoke publicly of her husband’s affair.
LISTEN: The Mamamia Out Loud team discuss Kate Langbroek’s comments on Barnaby’s affair. Post continues after audio.
“I am deeply saddened by the news that my husband has been having an affair and is now having a child with a former staff member. I understand that this affair has been going on for many months and started when she was a paid employee,” she told The Australian after news of the affair broke.
“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.”
In an interview with Fairfax Media on Tuesday, a defiant Joyce said he is “not going anywhere”.
“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 told journalist James Massola.
“I am humbled by the support in my electorate and in the community. People are starting to see this as a witch hunt. I’m not going anywhere, I never would.”
Top Comments
Either we Australians are stupid or the government just think we are. This is abominable, the way the Australian public is being treated. It should have been cleared up days ago. Joyce should have been sacked and an enquiry into everything he has done, over the last few years, carried out. Where he has travelled and with whom, at the public purse expense. His claims and not to mention the 'jobs for the boys' that appears to have occurred. In this case for the 'girl'. It beggars belief the whole saga. As far as his wife, now apparently not wanting him to lose his position, I feel there is a degree of self interest there. For goodness sake Malcolm ACT.
OMG P L E A S E, of course she is now thinking she doesn't want him to lose his job as it might affect HER hip pocket, she will be wanting him to throw her as much money as possible. I don't know what she is worried about she only has to ask him to create a nice cosy, little job for her, on about, lets say $200,000 per year. Natalie won't even have to turn up very often as the position won't really exist anyway, so there is probably very little for her to do. THIS WHOLE THING IS A JOKE AND AUSTRALIA LOOKS RIDICULOUS. We are run by weak but arrogant men. They never make a decision, unless that decision is being mean to the general populous. Certainly not when it is punishing one of their own for ridiculous behaviour. They are gutless in the extreme.