Barnaby Joyce drank with Vikki Campion in Sydney during taxpayer funded trip

Mr Joyce visited Sydney from February 23 to 25 on 'official deputy PM business'

He was pictured drinking at a bar with Ms Campion on the night of February 23

In total Mr Joyce spent $1,868.66 on that business trip to Sydney early last year

Bar patrons say Mr Joyce and Ms Campion appeared to be enjoying themselves

Barnaby Joyce was on a taxpayer funded business trip to Sydney when he was seen drinking at a bar with the staffer-turned-lover now pregnant with his fifth child.

The Deputy Prime Minister was photographed with Vikki Campion - his media advisor at the time - at Different Drummer, a bar in inner-west Glebe, on February 23, 2017.

ADVERTISEMENT

Photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia show the pair looking happy together almost a year before Mr Joyce's marriage break up and affair was revealed.

Publicly available documents showed The Nationals leader charged taxpayers a total of $1868.66 for his visit to Sydney from February 23 to 25 for his business trip.

Scroll down for video

Barnaby Joyce was on a taxpayer funded business trip when he was photographed drinking at a Sydney bar with then staffer Vikki Campion (pictured), who is the mother to his fifth child

British journalist Roger Tavener was in the Different Drummer that night and took the pictures published by Daily Mail Australia.

Mr Tavener said he got a surprise to see the Deputy PM in a small bar in Glebe and he was recognised also by other patrons.

'There's other people in the bar going: "It's Barnaby Joyce",' he said.

'He just came across to us and shook hands, said hello, he was really nice.'

Hours before his Thursday night catch up with Ms Campion at the bar in the city's inner-west Mr Joyce flew from Tamworth, in regional New South Wales, to Sydney.

The one-way domestic flight came at a cost of $356.69 to taxpayers.

Click here to resize this module

He was then chauffeured by an official commonwealth driver into the city at a cost of $72.88.

Mr Joyce's office initially refused to provide a statement about his three-day trip to Sydney, avoiding countless questions other than to say: 'Work purposes mate'.

When asked what the purpose of the visit to the bar was, Mr Joyce's office did not answer that directly.

A spokesman later said: 'The Deputy Prime Minister was in Sydney for those dates to attend three Cabinet committee meetings as well as meet with the Prime Minister of Israel.'

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Joyce and Ms Campion were having an affair at the time of his trip to Sydney, nor that he claimed bar expenses from that night.

Ms Campion was a media advisor for Mr Joyce until April last year, when she was shifted into a job for MP Matt Canavan. It was this week revealed that she is pregnant with Mr Joyce's child

Natalie and Barnaby Joyce arrive at the Canberra press gallery midwinter ball together

During the weekend that he was in Sydney the Deputy PM attended Cabinet committee meetings and met the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu

During the same business trip Mr Joyce videoed himself at a bar in the neighbouring suburb of Annandale and shared it to Facebook as a joke for opposition MP Anthony Albanese.

The next day, Friday, February 24, Mr Joyce travelled to Scone in north-east NSW for a visit to the Scone Saleyards. He returned to Sydney that night.

Mr Joyce also cancelled two more commonwealth cars that day.

Overall he cancelled three commonwealth cars in the space of 48 hours, costing the taxpayer a total of $120 in wasted trips.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mr Joyce charged taxpayers $442 for his accommodation on the Friday night, with a total of $884 spent on hotels.

On Saturday the deputy PM caught a commonwealth car to the airport, coming in at a cost of $78.60, before flying back to Tamworth, with his airfare costing $356.69.

BARNABY JOYCE'S EXPENSES FOR SYDNEY TRIP ON FEBRUARY 23-25: February 23 Tamworth to Sydney domestic flight - $356.69 Accommodation in Sydney - $442 Ms Campion (pictured) drank with Mr Joyce on the evening of February 23 Car cost - $72.88 Car cost - $40.00** February 24 Accommodation in Sydney - $442 Car cost - $40.00** Car cost - $40.00** February 25 Car cost - $78.60 Sydney to Tamworth domestic flight - $356.69 TOTAL: $1,868.86 **Indicates a cancelled or no-show commonwealth car

The day after his drink with Ms Campion, Mr Joyce travelled to Scone in north-east NSW for a visit to the Scone Saleyards (pictured)

In a statement, Mrs Joyce (far left) said she had been 'hurt' by her husband's affair: 'I am deeply saddened that my husband is now having a child with a former staff member,' she said

In a statement released this week, Mr Joyce's 'hurt' wife Natalie said her husband's affair went on for months as she sacrificed her own career to support him.

'The situation is devastating, for my girls who are affected by the family breakdown and for me as a wife of 24 years who placed my own career on hold to support Barnaby through his political life,' she said in a statement.

'Our family has had to be shared during Barnaby’s political career and it was with trust that we let campaign and office staff into our home and into our lives.

'Naturally we feel deceived and hurt by the actions of Barnaby and the staff member involved.

'I am deeply saddened by the news that my husband has been having an affair and is now having a child with a former staff member.

'I understand that this affair has been going on for many months and started when she was a paid employee.'

Statement from Natalie Joyce on the Deputy Prime Minister's affair I am deeply saddened by the news that my husband has been having an affair and is now having a child with a former staff member. I understand that this affair has been going on for many months and started when she was a paid employee. This situation is devastating on many fronts. For my girls who are affected by the family breakdown and for me as a wife of 24 years, who placed my own career on hold to support Barnaby through his political life. Our family life has had to be shared during Barnaby's political career and it was with trust that we let campaign and office staff into our homes and into our lives. Naturally we also feel deceived and hurt by the actions of Barnaby and the staff member involved. The situation for myself and the girls will be made worse by the fact that this will all be played out in public so at this time. I would ask that the girls and I are given some privacy and time to come to terms with the consequences and take steps to plan our future.

Mr Joyce (centre) and Natalie (left) have four daughters, pictured here claiming an election victory in 2016

Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the National Party Barnaby Joyce, at coffee with his wife Natalie and dog Missty

Ms Campion worked as Mr Joyce's media advisor before she moved into a senior six-figure role with Resources Minister Matt Canavan last April.

She later worked for Nationals chief parliamentary Whip Damian Drum but was left without a job when Mr Drum changed roles and became Assistant Minister to Deputy Prime Minister Joyce.

According to The Daily Telegraph the pair are now 'madly in love' and have moved in together ahead of the birth of their child, who is due in April.

A friend of the Deputy PM said the pregnancy was shrouded in secrecy because he was concerned about the well-being of his daughters.

ADVERTISEMENT

'He has been struggling with the family breakup, it's put an enormous pressure on him,' a source told the publication.

'He's had some pretty dark times.'

He was forced to stand for re-election in the seat of New England last December, but won the election comfortably and was returned to parliament.