{"id":58885,"date":"2018-02-15T06:20:11","date_gmt":"2018-02-15T06:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=58885"},"modified":"2018-02-15T06:20:11","modified_gmt":"2018-02-15T06:20:11","slug":"australia-deputy-pms-popularity-plummets-amid-scandal-over-affair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/australia-deputy-pms-popularity-plummets-amid-scandal-over-affair.html","title":{"rendered":"Australia deputy PM’s popularity plummets amid scandal over affair"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia deputy PM’s popularity plummets amid scandal over affair<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Deputy Australian Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will take a break next week rather than step in for the country\u2019s leader while he is away, as a poll shows his popularity plummeting since admitting to an extramarital affair with a former staffer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joyce, a Catholic who campaigned on \u201cfamily values\u201d and been married for 24 years, is expecting a child with his former press secretary.<\/span><\/p>\n

The affair has thrown Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull\u2019s center-right government into turmoil, straining the alliance between his Liberal Party and Joyce\u2019s National Party and sapping Joyce\u2019s public standing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joyce has so far resisted calls to quit either his seat or his cabinet spot, including a motion that passed the Senate calling for his resignation, since leaving parliament would put the government\u2019s narrow one-seat majority at risk.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe deputy prime minister will be taking leave from Monday…and accordingly will not be able to be acting prime minister while I\u2018m overseas,\u201d Turnbull said above loud heckling in parliament.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joyce\u2019s break, while Turnbull travels to Washington to meet U.S President Donald Trump, comes after an opinion poll showed support for the plain-spoken small-town accountant turned politician had tumbled in his rural electorate.<\/span><\/p>\n

The percentage of voters backing him crashed to 43 percent, according to the ReachTEL poll published in Fairfax newspapers on Thursday, down from the 63 percent margin he won at a by-election in December.<\/span><\/p>\n

His week off also comes as pressure intensifies over his failure to declare the relationship with his former press secretary, Vikki Campion, when she was hired for two highly-paid government positions outside his office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s ministerial code of conduct requires lawmakers to declare relationships with any staff member of a cabinet minister.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also questions about Joyce\u2019s acceptance, rent-free, of a townhouse belonging to a wealthy friend, Greg Maguire, and whether Joyce broke ministerial rules forbidding asking for gifts. Joyce denied asking for the townhouse.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost people would realize that at the time of a marriage break-up, it is not unusual for those who you are close to, to offer support,\u201d he told parliament.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr Maguire approached me…he said: \u2018You\u2019re living out of a suitcase, and this is basically something that I should try and help you with.\u2019 I took him up on the offer but I offered to pay for it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He has also said he did not break any rules over Campion\u2019s employment because she was not his \u201cpartner\u201d at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-australia-politics-joyce\/australia-deputy-pms-popularity-plummets-amid-scandal-over-affair-idUSKCN1FZ0F0<\/span><\/p>\n

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