Resources Minister Matt Canavan created a top level job in his office to be filled by Barnaby's girlfriend.

When this sort of thing happens a pollies private life becomes a legitimate matter of public concern.

Dave R.

He left  this..

For this...

CAD! If you are a politician..your private life is not  private when you're using taxpayer's money to create jobs for your lover and wining and dining them...

What makes him any different to any other politition your fair game and if he has done the wrong thing we need to hear about it then make a judgement and you can't hide under the banner that this is my private life you should be setting an example

There is a problem with politicians and the media and it is all about a media person being able to do the job without fear or favour. Time and again we have read that certain politicians won't talk to certain sections of the media and, in most cases, that just shows the weakness of the politician. In the case of a junior media person, a politician can make or break that person's career by not allowing them to attend briefings, not giving them leaks and making threats to their bosses.

What needs to happen is that all sections of the media in Canberra should unite and ensure that any stories about politicians that affect the running of the nation in an adverse way must be published. It has been inferred that Joyce's current partner was shoehorned into a six figure job and when she left, the position was not filled. If that allegation is true, it shows a waste of taxpayers' money and must be reported.

I have no issue with anyone cheating on their partner per se but I draw the line where public funds are being misused to enable the cheating to take place. There are recorded cases going back to when politics in Australia started of politicians and senior public servants getting a bit on the side and, perhaps, that in itself is none of our business. There are also cases where taxpayers' funds were used to provide holidays, accommodation and transport and that is where I have an issue.

Hypocrisy is nasty at the best of times.

In our Parliaments it is rife,  with many "whited sepulchres" making harsh, even cruel, judgements on the poor, the disadvantaged, the hurt and the abused.

They take our generous salaries, and they owe us integrity and committment to the public interest. They tell us pious lies to get elected, and then, behind the curtain of press secrecy (because it is their private life after all) engage in the very behaviour they publicly condemned. Do not forget that that covering of piety and propriety concealed most of the very worst sexual predators from exposure and conviction for years.

We have far too many shoddy characters put up for election because they can get away with lying to the public while living private scandals. Let Mr Joyce agree that he has been utterly disloyal to his wife and daughters, and let him not impose on others the "Christian values", or demands for propriety and decency that he doesn't abide by for himself.

Exactly why should the public not be shown that the deputy prime minister is a hypocrit? If then, the people in his electorate knowingly vote for such a person, so be it, but they have a right to know who is asking for their vote.

Shortens Private life Gillards Private life in fact the majority of Gillards inner cabinet private life was not persude by the main stream media . 

We do not know the inner workings of any marriage  

I wish Barnaby well in his new life ...

My opinion is that it speaks loudly of defects in Mr Joyce's personality on at least two issues. Firstly, seems to me Mr Joyce is a  narcissis when he can abandon his wife and embarrass his daughters rather than resisting temptation. He appears to value his own self interest above that of those for whom he has a primary responsibility to protect and nurture. What will he do when he has to make a decision where the better option for Australia may disadvantage himself personally, the narcissis would probably put their own interests first.

Secondly the concept of someone in a position of power having an 'affair' with a sub-ordinate is so wrong. Mr Joyce does not appear to understand, or accept, the his ethical responsiilities of the 'master/servant' relationship. Whether he initiated the relationship or not is not the point, he had an ethical responsibility to ensure he maintained a proper relatioship with his sub-ordinates. Sadly he was found wanting.

Not the sort of characteristics one would hope for in a member of parliament, much less a senior member of government and, in my opinion, renders Mr Joyce unfit to hold any position in government.

I was a miitary officer who had female staff, both uniformed and civillian, under my command. If I had had, or attempted to have, and affair with a sub-ordinate I would have been asked for my resignation, effective immediately or, if I declined the offer of resignation, charged with conduct to the prejudice of good order, court martialed and probably dismissed from the service. I expect no less from the Deputy Prime Minister.

Yes, I am aware it has happened before in the political arena, Mr Hawke and Dr Cairns come immediately to mind, but prior wrongs by others does not justify poor behavior by anyone.

Surely what matters most is did the affair/dialliance/ cheating on his wife affect his parliamentry duties?  I think not!

Now we have the pious Greens coming out against Joyce....reminds me of the frogs that the greenies try to protect ... frogs may be green but aren't they slimey????????????

Obviously the Telegraph journo who wrote the intial story is now rubbing their hand with glee, having at last gained some public attention. Not to mention the leftish ABC.

Private life is just that....private so long as it does not affect their job performance.

I think that Vikki should've gone to Specsavers.

I will say this, and await the howling, people who live in glass houses should never throw stones.

As the saying goes , there but for the grace of god etc,etc, we are after all, all of us, human!

Hence mistakes happen,and they always will.

If Barnaby Joyce wants to commit adultery that is his choice ( like many before him), to help fund the affair with a job for his "girlfriend" with taxpayers money is disgusting.

i thoroughly agree with Eddy and this would be a dismissal offense in any of the services, even the Auxilary services.

It makes you wonder if Mr Joyce is in politics to serve the people who elected him or his own selfish needs.

Of course his dalliance affected his parliamentary duties, Freddie, he couldn't have carried on his affair openly so had to sneak off, hide, a lot of his work life would have been spent manipulating his time so his affair didn't become common knowledge and his parliamentary job would have suffered.    

Also, do we really agree with paying huge, taxpayer funded salaries to MPs who are hypocrites?  He's always presented himself as a real conservative, with strong Catholic family principles.  He should be out of Parliament now with no bonuses.

As someone who has been through a similar experience I know how difficult life can be and how judgemental others are but nobody knows the full facts.  It is a daily occurrence for many couples but naturally worse when you have a high standing in the community. 

Personally I am more concerned with all the perks and pensions pollies receive rather than their private lives.  Why are they not subject to the same rules as all other retirees when their times comes.  The millions of taxpayer dollars to fund their exporbitant pensions plus all the perks for ex-prime ministers is an area that we all need to be pushing for change.  We are expected to live on a small fixed income, why should they be different.  Let them deal with the Centrelink rules like the rest of us!!

All marriages don't work out, we know that. So what's wrong with moving out of the family home before you have an affair. I'm sure Barnaby can afford it. His  behaviour is horrible. I feel sure this was known for a long while among his colleagues and they covered for him, honour among thieves?