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This morning Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce made a statement outside Parliament, addressing the backpack-full of scandal currently engulfing him. He began by apologising to his family over the affair currently dominating the nation’s attention. Addressed his former media advisor and current girlfriend Vikki Campion he added, “To Vikki Campion how deeply sorry I am that she has been dragged into this."The announcement came within hours of a sexual harassment claim from 2011 surfacing against the politician. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, a woman (who chose to remain nameless) explained an alleged encounter she had with the drunken Nationals leader after the Rural Women’s Agricultural Awards: “I said, ‘Barnaby, I think you should go home. You’re very drunk.’ He leant over and he pinched my bottom.”According to the Telegraph, the claims were brought to Joyce’s attention by Malcolm Turnbull’s close adviser Sally Cray in 2015, but no further action was taken.In the same address today, Joyce responded to the claim saying: “It’s not a case that I didn’t recollect it. It did not happen. This is a story that has been brought about by a person unnamed, at a venue unnamed, at a time unnamed, seven years ago, and has been peddled by the bitterest of political enemies to me.”Joyce also spoke to to the additional allegation that he created a job for Campion after their affair was uncovered by Canberra insiders. Joyce said that while Campion was currently his partner, "When she worked in my office, she was not my partner. When she worked in Matt Canavan's office, she was not my partner. And Damian Drum was not a minister."There is no good time to have your personal and professional life sliced open in front of the country. But right now is especially tricky as next week Malcolm Turnbull is heading off to the US and has has confirmed Joyce will be acting PM in his place. Many have flagged concerns about Joyce's fitness for the role, given the intense pressure he's currently under.Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and LNP backbencher Ian Macdonald have both voiced their concerns to the ABC. Dreyfus pointed out: "Acting Prime Minister is an extraordinarily important position and it is hard to believe Mr Joyce could do justice to that position given the distractions he is now enduring." Macdonald echoed the sentiments, noting the scandal could "take the focus away from where the country is heading."
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For his part, former senator Sam Dastyari weighed in last night in a series of tweets that suggested we’re just at the beginning of the Joyce scandal. Dastyari, who stepped down from his position following a revelation that he told a Chinese donor his phone was bugged, alleged “EVERYONE in Federal Parliament knew about Vicki and Barnaby. Anyone who claims they didn’t know Is either bullshitting or so out of touch they shouldn’t be in Parliament.”He also offered some additional advice. “I went for a LOT less” he told Joyce, “Quit while you are behind. Trust me - it only gets a LOT worse from here.”