‘Disgusted’: Politicians roast Barnaby Joyce’s ‘$150K’ TV deal

Politicians are locked in a fierce debate over Barnaby Joyce’s alleged decision to accept $150,000 from Channel Seven for an interview on Sunday Night this weekend, with some slamming him and claiming he shouldn’t expect payment for what is part and parcel of his job.

Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion will appear on the popular TV show this weekend, with their son Seb, in their first joint interview since their relationship and pregnancy were revealed.

However, Joyce has since been branded a “hypocrite”, as he’s claimed to have accepted the huge sum of money – while his partner reportedly filed a complaint against the Daily Telegraph, claiming it breached her privacy during her pregnancy.

Now, MPs have shared their thoughts on Joyce’s decision to sell his romance story for such high a price, with most insisting it was the wrong decision.

Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer gave the strongest statement yet on the issue, as she spoke on ABC Radio, claiming many Aussies are “disgusted” by it.

Meanwhile, Anthony Albanese agreed, and told reporters that while Joyce’s personal life is a “matter for his and his family”, he shouldn’t have overstepped a boundary and accepted money for ‘doing his job’.

Read more: ‘Hypocrite’ Barnaby Joyce pleads for privacy despite ‘$150k interview’

“As politicians as parliamentarians we’re paid by the Australian public to do our job. Part of that job is media interviews such as this and I don’t think that parliamentarians should be paid for media interviews, full stop,” he told reporters.

“I think that is a pretty important principle. That’s my personal view. It’s one that I’ve always engaged in and certainly it’s up to Mr Joyce to explain why it is that principle is being breached.”

Asked if he thinks it’s a “bit rich” that he’s asking for privacy, while selling his story, Albanese added: “I don’t make any comment about his personal life or those issues, but people will draw their own conclusions.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also weighed in on the debate, shortly after the news broke, saying he plans to discuss the issue with Joyce directly. However, he added that he wouldn’t have done it himself.

“It has been very widely criticised, I will no doubt have the opportunity to talk about it with Barnaby privately but it is certainly not a course of action I would have encouraged him to take, I will put it that way,” Turnbull told Tasmanian radio station LAFM. “I think you can understand how I feel about it but I will just be circumspect, uncharacteristically circumspect, on this and leave it to a private discussion.”

Opposition leader Bill Shorten was surprisingly tight-lipped on the debate, as he told reporters: “I think I am going to stay out of this issue… It’s up to Mr Joyce to explain himself and his conduct.”

Read more: Baby bonus! Barnaby Joyce reportedly lines up pricey Seven interview

However, he added that most people are unlikely to care about Joyce as much as other issues such as medical care, and added: “Mr Joyce has to comply with all the requirements for disclosure, that’s goes without saying, I agree. All things have to be appropriately disclosed. But really, when I look at what people here in Tasmania tell me is important, I think they have a passing interest in what Mr Joyce has done or not done.”

He added: “If you are living with pain in your knees or you need a hip replacement, you don’t care about what Barnaby Joyce has done, you just want to know when you are going to get to see the doctor and when you can get the pain to go away.”

But a bigger shock came from Pauline Hanson, as she declined to comment on the debate at all. Her spokesman told Starts at 60: “Pauline won’t be commenting on this private matter.”

Elsewhere, Nationals leader Michael McCormack told the ABC he would never accept money from the media, and added: “Whilst you are a serving member of parliament you have to wonder about the merit of these things.”

Joyce has since broken his silence on the issue himself, and reportedly told 7 News: “We tried for privacy. In the last fortnight we’ve had drones over our house. We’ve had paparazzi waiting for us….We tried just burning this out & that didn’t work.”

What do you think? Should Barnaby Joyce be paid for appearing on Channel Seven? Is it hypocritical of him to then expect privacy?