Barnaby Joyce’s affair sparks call for ban on Parliamentarians having affairs with staff
AUSTRALIA’s politicians are lagging the rest of the world and the private sector when it comes to standards of conduct for relationships. Now an independent MP wants a ban.
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A BAN on politicians having relationships with staffers has been suggested by a federal MP in the wake of reports about Barnaby Joyce’s affair with a former employee.
Independent MP Cathy McGowan has flagged she would be willing to table a motion in Parliament to introduce the ban.
It comes after the United States House of Representatives unanimously agreed to prohibit relationships between members of the House and employees yesterday and The Daily Telegraph reported the Deputy Prime Minister had moved in with former employee Vikki Campion and the couple were expecting a baby in April.
“There is a belief the Parliament is behind community expectations and corporate practice,” Ms McGowan said in a statement today.
.@RichardDiNatale: There is certainly a power imbalance when it comes to Members of Parliament and their staff. I think it is absolutely appropriate we discuss a politician-staffer sex ban.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) February 8, 2018
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“The Parliament is a place of work and good workplace practice includes clear expectations about behaviour.
“There are examples set by the process undertaken by the United States Congress and in the Australian corporate sector, including the action of the AFL in July last year regarding relationships in the workplace.”
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Ms McGowan said she wanted to begin the conversation on a ban before potentially tabling a motion in Parliament.
Other politicians, from both Labor and the Coalition, have been reluctant to comment on the Deputy Prime Minister’s relationship with Ms Campion.
Most have highlighted Mr Joyce’s personal life should remain private.
But senior Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen said yesterday the relationship had been well-known in Parliament for six months.
Mr Joyce’s wife of 24 years, Natalie, told The Daily Telegraph the relationship had been going on for many months and believed it had started while Ms Campion was her husband’s media adviser.