Just as the worst appeared to be over for Barnaby Joyce, he may well have dug himself even deeper into trouble this morning in his response to Labor’s focus on his free accommodation.
After his party locked in behind him yesterday, at least for the moment, and a round of endorsements from his deputy Bridget McKenzie and backbenchers, Joyce appeared set to at least make it to the end of the sitting week still in his job. Parliament rises this afternoon and Joyce is scheduled to be acting Prime Minister next week while Malcolm Turnbull again travels to the US to see Donald Trump.
Labor, however, has shifted focus from the apparent breach of standards in relation to the employment of his now-partner in other offices to an apparent breach of standards relating to the prohibition on the soliciting of gifts — in this case, free accommodation provided by Joyce’s friend, millionaire Greg Maguire.
Joyce insisted to Parliament this morning that “Mr Maguire approached me, as did many other friends, approached me, to offer support.” However, Maguire has told News Corp journalists that Joyce had asked him for a place to stay.
Joyce may not be in breach of ministerial standards because he was not a member of Parliament or a minister at the time, and thus free to solicit gifts or breach any other section of the government’s standards as much as he liked. Moreover, Maguire and Joyce both say he offered to pay for the Armidale townhouse he is staying in, which makes it an unlikely “gift”.
But misleading parliament is still — at least notionally — a sacking offence, and Joyce’s defence that he didn’t approach Maguire, if contradicted by the facts, will continue the saga beyond parliament today. It would also be characteristically sloppy of Joyce, who has no grasp of detail and apparently limited capacity to think through consequences.
So far the government and Joyce have relied on the technicalities that Campion was not Joyce’s partner when Matt Canavan employed her, that Damian Drum was not a minister when he employed her and that Joyce did not have to declare the accommodation in appropriate detail because he wasn’t an MP when it was provided. The continued reliance on technicalities to avoid the sacking of Joyce won’t play well with the electorate, and guarantees more stories will emerge.
And how is it that Joyce’s defacto can just walk into highly paid jobs on the taxpayer? Is that a corrupt process?
I just don’t get it. Barnaby is paid over $400Kpa (to oppose social and economic progress). The floozy (not partner, I did not call her a partner) is paid about half that amount for doing who knows what for whom. And they need free rent. It’s a good thing the Age of Entitlement is over!
And the accepting free holiday accommodation for he and his girlfriend/media adviser/social media manager/non-partner now partner when he WAS DPM and Member for New England just a few weeks ago? I presume the $380 was declared too?
https://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/news/locals-tell-of-barnabys-time-in-wooli/3334494/
“But misleading parliament is still — at least notionally — a sacking offence …” But rooting your staff then getting them high paid Ministerial staffer jobs apparently isn’t. Kind of captures the problem in a nutshell.
This Government is bringing Parliament into contempt by undermining its authority in the eyes of the public. “She wasn’t his partner” – if that doesn’t fit into a reasonable definition of misleading, we all need to start again. Your mates hiring your sideroot into a high paid job – surely an act intended to curry favour and, as such, corrupt. If misleading the House and corruption don’t qualify as improper interference with the free exercise by a House or committee of its authority, it’s game on – MPs and Senators will be allowed to run wild in the streets, eating babies and setting fire to churches.
The next election would be a troubling prospect for them, if their hubris didn’t blind them to reality.
Thank you for that persistent image, Baffled.
Surely not even Borey Canardi would do that?
Nah, yeah..
Hang on, at what point was Joyce not an MP? As I recall, he refused to stand down pending the high court judgement.
Marcus Hicks – he resigned after the high court judgement and was not an MP again until he was sworn in by the GG after the by-election.