Wife stands by Andrew Broad as MP announces he will walk away from politics

Nationals MP Andrew Broad says he just tried to be a “normal guy”, blaming the pressure of work and being away from home for his sleazy online behaviour.

Andrew Broad has blamed his personal crisis on being away from home “too much” but says he’d “always tried to be a normal guy first”.

The Victorian federal Nationals MP’s once promising political career is tatters after he quit parliament in disgrace following a string of revelations of sleazy online behaviour.

In an email leaked to the Herald Sun, Mr Broad has told party members in his safe seat of Mallee he had made “grave error of judgement”, which had spawned from pressures in his job and at home.

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It comes as his wife Rachel Broad yesterday stood by her husband, as the disgraced Nationals MP announced he would walk away from politics for the sake of his family.

Mr Broad appeared publicly for the first time since news of a lewd sex scandal involving an alleged secret dinner with a sugar baby emerged on Monday.

The couple say they want to strengthen their focus on family. Picture: Jason Edwards

He quit his job as an assistant minister in the Morrison Government on Monday, after New Idea published sordid details of an alleged online dalliance with a young woman in Hong Kong. He announced he would not recontest the election the following day.

But in an email sent to his Mallee branch members last night, he told them “don’t believe everything that has been written in the media”.

He said his decision to quit had been made with his wife, Rachel, on their morning walk in Mildura on Tuesday morning.

“We have had a year when I have been away too much, where extra responsibilities have been place upon us with an additional foster child, and I made a grave error of judgement and allowed myself to be in a situation that is not appropriate,” Mr Broad wrote.

“Politics is a strange vocation, I have always said that I would try to speak common sense and not get a big head.”

He said the past few days had been “confronting” as he and his wife had “dodged journalists with cameras”.

“We are shielding our daughters from this as much as possible,” he wrote.”

He urged local members to spend time with loved ones at Christmas.

“It is humbling to be loved by others, even when they know your failings,” he wrote.

Mr Broad said given the election is “very close” it would have been “irresponsible” to leave immediately and trigger a by-election.

“I am confident the National party members will choose a very good candidate to replace me. I’m sure the new candidate will win the election and serve the people well.”

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Despite arriving in separate cars, the married couple of 19 years were hand-in-hand as they met at a local cafe in the Mildura suburb of Red Cliffs shortly before lunchtime yesterday.

Ms Broad remained tight lipped about her husband’s alleged rendezvous at a swanky restaurant in Hong Kong where he likened himself to James Bond, while Mr Broad asked for “time to be with his family”.

Andrew Broad Nationals MP with wife Rachel in Red Cliffs just outside Mildura. Picture: Jason Edwards

Wearing a cap and sunglasses, the former frontbencher arrived to meet his wife shortly before 11.45am — just moments after news broke he would not recontest his seat of Mallee at the next election.

Mr Broad said it was a decision he and his wife had made together.

“We want to strengthen and focus on our family,” he told the Herald Sun in a text message.

“We have walked away from politics now.”

The 43-year-old said he has never shied away from his responsibilities.

“I have never walked away from taking responsibility for my actions,” he wrote in a text message.

But as the couple hurried away from the Good Golly bakery and into his car, he would not say if he was sorry for his actions.

Nor would he say why it took so long for him to stand down from his position as assistant minister.

Andrew Broad in Mildura today. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Broad gets into a car in Mildura today. Picture: Jason Edwards

Broad, the former president of the Victorian Farmers Federation, lives with his wife and two foster daughters in Mildura while also tending to the family farm in Bridgewater.

In previous interviews with the Herald Sun Mr Broad detailed how he met his wife more than two decades ago when he was just 21 years old.

“I thought, ‘I could marry a girl like that’, so I went up and introduced myself,’’ he said in 2015.

“A faint heart never won a fair lady,” he said.

The comments are in stark contrast to the crude messages he allegedly sent his sugar baby 20 years his junior in August this year.

“I’m a country boy so I know how to fly a plane, ride a horse and f — my woman,”

Locals in the border town of Mildura told the Herald Sun they were “not surprised” to hear of the MPs alleged dalliances with other women.

“He’s known as a bit of a sleaze and very arrogant,” one local woman said.

“We don’t need someone like that in power,” she said.

It comes as this paper revealed at least three women had contacted the National Party in the past year making allegations about sexcapades and sleazy behaviour by Mr Broad.

Claims of his philandering were said to be well known within the party but he had continued to deny any allegations of infidelity.

Originally published as Wife stands by Andrew Broad as MP announces he will walk away from politics