Natalie Joyce feels “deceived and hurt”.
The estranged wife of Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has shared her sadness in the wake of news her husband of 24 years, and the father of her four daughters, is expecting a child with his current partner and former media advisor, 33-year-old Vikki Campion.
“This situation is devastating on many fronts,” she said, in a statement published by The Australian. “For my girls who are affected by the family breakdown and for me as a wife… who placed my own career on hold to support Barnaby through his political life.”
Natalie said her family life had been extensively shared during her husband’s career, and campaign and office staff were often invited into their home – a reality that left her feeling “deceived” by the actions of Barnaby and Campion.
She added that she was “deeply saddened” to hear that “this affair has been going on for many months and started when [Ms Campion] was a paid employee”.
How must that feel? To give up so much – to put another person’s ambition before your own – only to be bitterly disappointed by the person you sacrificed it for?
Listen: Jessie Stephens and Mia Freedman discuss all things Barnaby Joyce – including his new partner, his wife’s comments and the hypocrisy of it all. Post continues after audio.
Natalie Joyce met Barnaby while she was studying education at the University of New England, and went on to marry him just a few years after graduating, in 1993. Today, she’s listed as a student support teacher at McCarthy Catholic College in Tamworth, although it was reported in 2009 that at one point, she worked as a part-time administrative officer within her husband’s office.