Vikki Campion, the partner of former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, has revealed she was pressured to abort their child by people within federal parliament.
Mr Joyce also revealed he knew his position as deputy PM was untenable once his new partner fell pregnant - but continued to battle through a by-election.
Ms Campion in a tear-filled interview on the Seven Network said "people within the parliament" approached her and told her she needed to get an abortion.
"And I said it's too late it has a heartbeat," she told the Sunday Night program.
"And they said if you don't they're going to come after you. And they did."
When asked to specify who gave her the order she said "people who are supposed to be conservative".
Ms Campion noted in the interview that she did not want to tar everyone in the National Party with the same brush.
Mr Joyce said the people who pressured Ms Campion for an abortion were "the absolute scum of the earth you involve yourself with" in the "mad boarding house" of parliament.
Mr Joyce, who his partner described as "strongly pro-life", said he hoped for a healthy child while accepting time as deputy PM was coming to an end.
"I'll be really frank, I don't believe in abortion so I just knew that basically at that point I was going to lose my job as deputy prime minister," he said.
Mr Joyce said her knew that he wouldn't be in the job by the time his son Sebastian was born but chose not to resign.
Instead he campaigned and retained his seat of New England in a by-election last December brought about by a High Court ruling that Mr Joyce was a dual citizen.
As news of the affair and pregnancy broke in early February the newly reinstated deputy prime minister refused calls from his colleagues to step down.
"Toward the end I was fighting more out of spite than logic," he said.
Mr Joyce also hit out at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for calling a press conference to criticise his deputy's judgment.
"That was wrong," he told Sunday Night, conceding he "didn't expect a gold star".
Mr Joyce stepped down on February 23.
The interview came under heavy scrutiny after it emerged Mr Joyce and Ms Campion had accepted a $150,000 payment.
They insist the money will be put in a trust account they can't access and will be used for Sebastian's education.
Australian Associated Press
