Australia’s government in turmoil as PM Malcolm Turnbull and deputy Barnaby Joyce trade barbs over sex scandal

The rare public dispute between the two top government officials followed Malcolm Turnbull taking the extraordinary step of banning sexual relations between ministers and their staff

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Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce (right) and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. File photo: AFP

Published: 1:01pm, 16 Feb 2018Updated: 1:00pm, 16 Feb 2018

The Australian government was thrown into turmoil on Friday after Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce hit out at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, calling the prime minister’s criticism of his extramarital affair with a former staffer “inept” and “unnecessary.”

The rare public dispute between the two top government officials followed Turnbull taking the extraordinary step of banning sexual relations between ministers and their staff on Thursday.

Joyce, who is also leader of a governing coalition partner with Turnbull’s Liberal Party, was last week found to have had an affair with his former press secretary, who is now pregnant with his child.

Following a week of damaging allegations against the National Party leader, Turnbull told a news conference on Thursday that the deputy prime minister “made a shocking error of judgment in having an affair with a young woman working in his office.”

Australia’s Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce has admitted to an affair with 33-year-old former staff member Vikki Campion, who used to work in his office, leaving his shattered wife of 24 years and their four daughters. Photo: Facebook

Turnbull said the affair caused “terrible hurt and humiliation” to Joyce’s estranged wife, their four daughters and his new partner, Vikki Campion.

“In doing so he (Joyce) has set off a world of woe for those women, and appalled all of us. Our hearts go out to them,” the prime minister said.