NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

'Madly in love': Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce having baby with former staffer

news.com.au
6 Feb, 2018 09:19 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Barnaby Joyce reveals his separation in Parliament.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has left his wife and is expecting a baby with one of his former staff members, Vikki Campion.

Campion, 33, a former journalist and deputy chief of staff of The Daily Telegraph left Joyce's office in April last year.

She has reportedly moved in with Joyce and is due to give birth in April, The Telegraph reports.

Joyce, 50, revealed in Parliament in December last year that he had split from his wife of 24 years, Natalie Joyce.

"I acknowledge that I'm currently separated, so that's on the record," Joyce told Parliament.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Joyce won a by-election last year to remain in Parliament after it emerged he was a New Zealand citizen.

Friends have reportedly told the Telegraph Joyce is said to be "madly in love".

But neither Joyce nor Campion have spoken publicly about their situation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Before announcing his separation, the Deputy Prime Minister had frequently spoken about his wife and family in public.

In an interview with The Weekend Australian Magazine last year, his wife told the story of how the pair met.

The romantic encounter took place when they started studying at the University of New England.

"The first time we spoke was O Week," she said. "The last day was a car rally in a ute and he just came up to me and went 'You'll do'."

Discover more

Opinion

'I fell in love with my boss and I'm not ashamed'

09 Feb 05:48 AM
World

'Weird, unhealthy rooting culture'

13 Feb 06:20 PM
World

No hanky panky: Turnbull bans sex after Barnaby affair

15 Feb 07:46 AM
World

Threats, regrets: Inside the world of Barnaby and Vikki

03 Jun 06:07 PM

According to the profile, Joyce commented, "I had all the lines", and appeared "mortified".

In that same article the Nationals leader revealed how little time he spent at home with his family. His diary at the time showed only two days over the months of February and March that he would sleep at home in his own bed.

The Joyces have four daughters tougher — Bridgette, Julia, Caroline and Odette.

Mrs Joyce said at the time the family had taken a "back seat" to Mr Joyce's career. He entered politics when the youngest, Odette, was only 18 months.

"We're probably lucky, and not so lucky in a way, that (the children) were so young when he started so they don't really know any different," Mrs Joyce said.

"Every time he'd come home (Odette) actually wouldn't go near him because he hadn't been home. It's taken a long time to get that father-daughter rapport."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Joyce described feeling "guilt" over not always being there for his daughters.

"I hate it," he told the magazine. "In the end they give up on you. They just don't think you're going to be there."

Leading up to the New England by-election last year — after Joyce was dismissed from Parliament by the High Court over his dual citizen status with New Zealand — his wife and children did not accompany him on the campaign trail.

Joyce was also absent when her husband voted with his mother, and was nowhere to be seen when he was sworn back into Parliament.

By contrast, during the 2016 federal election, Joyce's family were frequently seen on the hustings.

His 2017 by-election campaign was dogged by rumours of the now exposed relationship.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

During the campaign, Joyce was hounded by an individual, who he later dubbed a stalker, who raised his family situation at a pub sparking a heated verbal clash.

Joyce was understood to have knocked the man's hat off his had during the Monday night confrontation at a New England pub.

He acknowledged the rumours when he was reinstalled as an MP last year and confirmed his separation.

"I didn't come to this pretending to be a saint," he said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

'Serious action': Australian govt pledges reforms after childcare abuse charges

02 Jul 04:49 AM
World

Explosion at Indian factory kills at least 36, dozens missing

02 Jul 03:58 AM
World

'Stay home': NSW braces for severe weather, power outages

02 Jul 03:17 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

'Serious action': Australian govt pledges reforms after childcare abuse charges

'Serious action': Australian govt pledges reforms after childcare abuse charges

02 Jul 04:49 AM

Joshua Brown has been charged with 70 offences involving eight children in Melbourne.

Explosion at Indian factory kills at least 36, dozens missing

Explosion at Indian factory kills at least 36, dozens missing

02 Jul 03:58 AM
'Stay home': NSW braces for severe weather, power outages

'Stay home': NSW braces for severe weather, power outages

02 Jul 03:17 AM
Lululemon sues Costco over claims of copying athletic designs

Lululemon sues Costco over claims of copying athletic designs

02 Jul 03:04 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP