Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion to tie the knot in country ‘bush bash’ nearly six years after affair rocked Australia – and there are some glaring omissions from the guest list
More than five years after their scandalous affair came to light, former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, 56, is set to marry his former political adviser turned mistress, Vikki Campion, 38.
The couple, who have two sons, Sebastian and Thomas, will tie the knot in a bush bash wedding in Walcha, NSW, on November 12, but there are some glaring omissions from the guest list.
Mr Joyce has four daughters from his first marriage to Natalie, but the Daily telegram reported that only one of them would attend the wedding.
It’s not clear which of Julia, Caroline, Odette and Bridgette are expected to be at the wedding, but it’s unlikely it will be Odette, who once posted a photo of her mother and siblings on Instagram with the caption: ‘The real Joyce family # whosbarnaby’
Sebastian and Thomas are expected to play a special role on the wedding day.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce (pictured left) is to marry his much younger former political adviser turned mistress, Vikki Campion (pictured right)
Mr Joyce is pictured with his ex-wife Natalie and their four daughters, Julia, Caroline, Odette and Bridgette
Ms Joyce is said to have been blindsided by her then husband’s affair, news of which emerged in February 2018 when Ms Campion was two months away from giving birth to Sebastian.
When the couple announced their engagement in January 2022, Mr Joyce said his family’s reaction was as “one expected” and that not everyone was happy.
“Some are happy and some are understandably not so happy,” Joyce said at the time.
He proposed with a parti sapphire ring, a stone popular in his northern NSW electorate of New England.
“Instead of getting down on one knee (to propose), I ended up getting down on two.” “I was saying my prayers,” he said.
Ms Campion said yes, and after delays due to the pandemic, the couple will marry next month at an undisclosed location – believed to be one of Mr Joyce’s properties.
Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion are pictured with their eldest son Sebastian
Barnaby’s daughter Odette posted this photo of her mother and siblings on Instagram with the caption: ‘The real Joyce family #whosbarnaby’
Their close friends and National Party colleagues have been invited to attend the wedding, which starts at 11am, and the celebration afterwards.
Guests are encouraged to arrive in utes or 4WDs, roll out their swags and party long into the night.
“It’s very sad that Barnaby is returning to his country’s roots,” said one guest.
“The naysayers said they wouldn’t get to this point, but these are two people in love and we can’t wait to celebrate.”
While many guests are expected to stay overnight and sleep in their vehicles or in tents, that will be the case a bus to take less hardy souls to a nearby country hotel.
When his affair came to light in early 2018, Joyce resigned as deputy prime minister and leader of the Nationals.
Then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull blasted Joyce for what he called a “shocking error of judgement.”
It led to Turnbull introducing a so-called ‘bonking ban’ for coalition MPs to prevent them having sex with their ministerial staff.
Mr Joyce and Mrs Campion are pictured with their sons Thomas and Sebastian
Vikki Campion and Barnaby Joyce, who are getting married in November, are pictured with their son Thomas
The exact location for the wedding of Barnaby Joyce (left) and Vikki Campion (right) is being kept secret
But Ms Campion said at the time that the ban “protects no one”.
She said loopholes could allow ministers to sleep with other junior staff they did not directly employ, regardless of their position.
Ms Campion also said MPs, rather than ministers, were still allowed to have sex with their own electorate staff, other ministers’ staff, opposition members’ staff, maintenance staff and Senate staff under the ban.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Joyce for comment.