Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has drawn criticisms and caution from within the Coalition over his decision to accept a payment from Channel Seven, .
Speaking with the ABC on Sunday night, Liberal senator Dean Smith called the decision “unwise” and warned the court of public opinion could be a “very, very harsh place”.
Mr Joyce took a significant pay cut when he lost his job as the deputy prime minister and agriculture minister, but records show he's still earning more than $200,000 as a backbench MP.
Human Services Minister Michael Keenan said he would not accept any payment for an interview while sitting as an elected representative, but said he would raise any concerns with Mr Joyce in private.
“It’s a matter for Barnaby ... I’m not going to add to the commentary around it,” he told Sky News.
Mr Joyce’s closer colleagues in the Nationals offered a qualified defence, with deputy leader Bridget McKenzie saying the matter should remain private.
“That’s a matter for Vikki and Barnaby,” she told the ABC.
“People write memoirs all the time. Politicians tell their stories in a variety of ways throughout their careers. I don’t think it’s up to me to be making commentary on the morality of that or otherwise.”
Senator John ‘Wacka’ Williams, also a National, said it was “not for me to judge”.
The payment to Seven reportedly came following a bidding war with Channel Nine.
The sum will be paid into a trust account and held for Mr Joyce’s baby son Sebastian, according to various reports.
The revelations over the payment come as the Daily Telegraph reports Mr Joyce and his partner Ms Campion have filed a complaint against the paper with the Australian Press Council over an alleged breach of their privacy.
The details of the complaint cannot be made public while the process is underway.
The paper was responsible for exposing Mr Joyce’s relationship with Ms Campion, his former media advisor, which sparked a weeks-long saga that culminated in the prime minister banning ministers from having relations with their staff.
Liberal MP Tim Wilson said the decision was a “question for Barnaby Joyce”, but suggested there was an inconsistency in approach.
“I'm not in the habit of making complaints to the Press Council, but I’m also not in the habit of taking sums of cash for interviews,” he told Sky News.
