Andrew Broad quits over ‘sugar baby’ scandal

Deputy PM Michael McCormack has said Andrew Broad has made the right decision to quit politics, describing his behaviour as “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack says Andrew Broad made the right decision to quit politics after the “sugar baby” scandal, describing his behaviour as “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Earlier today, Mr McCormack denied trying to cover up the scandal while defending his decision not to tell Prime Minister Scott Morrison for almost six weeks about it.

The Nationals leader - who knew since early November about Mr Broad’s meeting with “sugar baby” Amy on a work trip to Hong Kong and encouraged him to refer his concerns about her to the Australian Federal Police - said he had not known about the explicit texts Mr Broad sent the woman until they were exposed in media reports yesterday.

In a statement this afternoon, after Mr Broad announced his decision to quit politics at the next election, Mr McCormack said: “Mr Broad has now made the right decision to stand aside and not re-contest the seat of Mallee and in doing so he has accepted the sort of behaviour, which has prompted his decision, is inappropriate and unacceptable.”

He thanked Mr Broad for his service and said the Nationals MP had been a “passionate advocate for regional and farming issues” which had “led to his promotion as the Assistant Minister” in September.

Andrew Broad in Question Time. Picture Kym Smith

An image appearing in a New Idea story purportedly showing a woman named Amy, who goes under the pseudonym "Sweet Sophia Rose". Picture: New Idea

Mr Broad said today he had let down his family, community and party would not be contesting the next election.

“After recent media stories about my private life, it is clear that the people of Mallee will be best served in the next Parliament by a different Nationals candidate,” the Victorian MP said in a statement at midday.

“I have done my best and at times we have achieved good things, but I have also let them down,” he added while thanking his family, staff, community and the National Party for their support.

The MP promised to “continue to work tirelessly for my community as their local MP until the next election” while saying he had a deep love for regional Australia and was “blessed” to represent the Mallee region of Victoria.

“I am proud of what we have delivered together,” he said.

News Corp understands Mr Broad will repay the $479.62 he charged taxpayers for the return flights between Mildura and Melbourne, which connected with international flights to Hong Kong where he met “sugar baby” Amy, who goes by the online alias “Sweet Sophia Rose”.

Mr Broad’s decision to quit politics comes after Mr McCormack all but called for him to quit politics entirely this morning, saying: “We don’t, in the National Party, condone improper practices.”

“I think he should consider his future. I do. But then again I have to say that’s a matter for Mr Broad,” Mr McCormack told reporters at a press conference this morning.

He denied knowing about the sexually explicit text messages between Mr Broad and Amy, the “blonde beauty” he met on a “sugar baby” website.

“We don’t condone anything of this nature and the full text messages and everything that has been outlined yesterday was the first time I had been aware of those particular text messages between the two parties,” Mr McCormack said.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack knew for almost six weeks about Mr Broad’s meeting with a “sugar baby” in Hong Kong but did not inform the Prime Minister. Picture: AAP

“All I was aware of was that he was on a personal trip. That he’d sought a date. He’d gone on that date and, he told me, that nothing further had occurred, apart from the fact that, later on, the person with whom he went on the trip, had allegedly made contact with him.”

Mr McCormack reiterated that he had told Mr Broad to refer the matter to the Australian Federal Police if he had been concerned about it but did not specify why.

Asked why he had did not tell the Prime Minister, Mr McCormack said: “Because I thought it was a personal matter between him (Broad) and his family.”

“I don’t tell the Prime Minister everything about every member of Parliament.

“He’s got enough on his mind at the moment and quite frankly I thought it was a matter for Andrew to sort out with his family.

“Obviously, I wasn’t aware of the entire extent of what had taken place.”

News Corp understands the Prime Minister called Mr McCormack immediately after he found out yesterday through media reports that Mr Broad had exchanged sexually explicit texts with the younger woman and met her for dinner while on a work trip to Hong Kong.

Asked whether he had tried to cover the matter up, Mr McCormack said: “Absolutely not.”

“I don’t carry around every time and event in my back pocket ready to answer questions on the spot by the media,” he said when asked why he had initially told media he had only known about the matter for a “couple of weeks”.

The Nationals leader then said Mr Broad needed to consider if he should run for Parliament again.

“I think the public has been let down, I do. And I do think people expect better,” he said.

The Nationals leader then released a statement yesterday morning saying he had accepted Mr Broad’s resignation from his highly paid frontbench role as Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr McCormack later admitted last night he had known about the matter since early November.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg would not criticise Mr McCormack for failing to act sooner this morning but told the Nine Network: “Look, as soon as the prime minister heard, he acted straight away.”

He condemned Mr Broad’s behaviour, adding: “I think Michael McCormack was trying to work through this issue but what is very clear is that this conduct was unacceptable.”

“He has resigned. That was the right thing to do.”

Mr Frydenberg refused to be drawn on whether he was angry the scandal had overshadowed his announcement yesterday that the government had achieved the best budget figures in more than a decade.

Mr Broad has broken his silence after the allegations became public in New Idea yesterday to defend his work trip to Hong Kong and his behaviour.

“I paid for it. I paid for it all myself,” Mr Broad told The New Daily.

He added: “I’ve never been one to put myself on a moral high ground. I am full of mistakes like anyone else.”

Mr Broad’s domestic flights from Mildura to Melbourne were taxpayer funded but the Victorian MP paid for his international travel to Hong Kong.

He told The New Daily he was willing to repay the domestic flights.

Explicit texts between Mr Broad and Amy emerged yesterday, including that that he had boasted to her about knowing how to “fly a plane, ride a horse, and f--- my woman”.

In another message, he said he had “booked a flashy room” to seduce her back to, despite the woman’s profile noting that she would not be intimate on dates.

The Herald Sun reports at least three women have contacted the ­National Party in the past year with ­allegations about sleazy behaviour by Mr Broad.

A scathing assessment from a female Nationals member “That man (Broad)has never taken any advice from anyone ever. He is law unto himself and has lied to everyone who has brought this up to him” @SkyNewsAust

— Laura Jayes (@ljayes) December 17, 2018

Senior Nationals told the publication they feared the “sugar baby” incident was the “tip of the iceberg”.

The Herald Sun also reports Mr Broad had told colleagues the woman he met through a “seeking arrangement” website tried to extort him for $8000 by threatening to sell her story.

He referred the matter to the AFP on November 8.

After assessing it, the AFP found “no applicable offences under Australian law”.

It is the second sex scandal to rock the Nationals this year after a married Barnaby Joyce was forced to resign as party leader following revelations he was expecting a child with a former staffer.