Sydney – Australian deputy Prime Minister Barnby Joyce was harshly criticized by the country’s leader, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over his “shocking error” of having an affair with a former staffer.
In increasing escalation of tensions between the deputy prime minister, and Turnbull, the prime minister continued to criticize him, saying it was a “world of woe” which prompted him to officially ban sex between ministers and staffers.
Mr Joyce fought back, saying that Turnbull’s comments were, “inept” and “unnecessary”.
“In many instances, they caused further harm,” said Mr Joyce, who leads junior coalition party the Nationals.
The coalition government between Labour and the Liberal Nationals is in “crisis”, Mr Joyce said he would still try to repair his relationship with Mr Turnbull, but refused to step down.
Mr Turnbull has said repeatedly before that it is in The Nationals party to decide the future of their leader, who have defended him.
The deputy prime minister’s relationship with former advisor, Vikki Campion, has raised several politically damaging questions since it was released last week.
The two leaders were close but the relationship has turned sour, since Mr Turnbull has openly criticized him for his conduct once the affair was revealed to the public.
Mr Joyce said on Friday: “I would not wish on friend nor foe the hurt, the scrutiny, the intense intrusion into your life that I have gone through [in] this process.”
Photo Credit- RadioNZ
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