‘Voters aren’t angry Barnaby Joyce had an affair, but that he lied’

Dear Mr Joyce,

I know some people are saying your affair is none of our business, but I say cobblers to that. We are now learning of all sorts of other things you allegedly have been up to, which need investigation, but sure sound dodgy.

Picking a candidate among several to give my vote to is a bit like making a purchase or picking an employee. I look at the claims for the product or the application for a job and I rely on that to make my decision. Understandably I am extremely annoyed if I don’t get a product that does as promised or an employee who told whoppers and is actually pretty incompetent. It’s the same with a politician — is he or she what was advertised?

In picking who I’ll vote for I think about what is important to me, past performance, policies and party, but also the person themselves. Do I think him or her honest, does he or she represent my values. To do this I have to rely on information available and a lot of that comes from the candidate or his team. Some candidates tell you little about their private life preferring to keep that separate from their job, which is okay. Others, like you, did put out photos of your wife and daughters playing the good family man, you claimed to be a good Catholic. So for those of us who think family and religion important we may decide you are our man based on those photos and the image you presented.

None of it was true though. You weren’t those things.

I know marriages fail, people fall in and out of love and they have affairs, we all know that. You should have said. We didn’t need to know all the details. ‘My wife and I have separated I am now in a relationship with someone else’ probably would have been enough. Many of us would have taken the attitude that it’s unfortunate for your family but this happens to lots of people and I suspect you might have lost a few votes but it’s probable you’d still have won.

It’s false advertising though, Mr Joyce. ‘Christian family man standing for election’ isn’t what you were. Adulterer, home wrecker, not following Catholic values is more like it. There is hypocrisy in promoting a false image and it was you who chose the image.

If I bought a product with such a high degree of false advertising I’d at least want my money back, I might even lodge a formal complaint with the consumer watchdog.

Not good enough Mr Joyce.

Regards

A. Voter

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