Jamie Briggs and Mal Brough: Frontbench upheaval as Liberal ministers resign
Jamie Briggs was told to quit after the woman from foreign affairs in her 20s who he kissed her on the neck in a ‘crowded’ Hong Kong bar complained about him in writing.
ONE-time rising Liberal star Jamie Briggs was told to resign after he allegedly kissed a junior foreign affairs staffer on her first overseas posting during a late night visit to a Hong Kong bar.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull used the scandal to mask the demotion of his “captain’s pick” Mal Brough, who yesterday stood down pending the outcome of an Australian Federal Police investigation into allegations he illegally procured the official diary of former Speaker Peter Slipper.
The Turnbull frontbench was in chaos last night with three ministers handed extra responsibilities to cover the two ministers who will no longer sit on the front bench.
Mr Turnbull will now consider a reshuffle, but it is unlikely it will occur until Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss decides whether he will retire from parliament.
Mr Briggs, the then minister for cities and the built environment, was on official ministerial business in Hong Kong when he took a group of officials out to dinner, for which he personally paid.
He then took his chief-of-staff Stuart Eaton and the junior staffer, believed to be in her mid-20s, to a trendy Hong Kong nightclub in the final week of November.
IT’S ALL OVER FOR BRIGGS AND BROUGH
ANALYSIS: WHY BRIGGS WON’T BE MISSED
READ JAMIE BRIGGS’ FULL STATEMENT BELOW
The Daily Telegraph understands the woman alleged a flirtatious Mr Briggs kissed her on the neck, suggested she had piercing eyes and then put his arm around her.
It is believed Mr Briggs claimed he had given the woman a “peck on the cheek”.
The woman made a formal complaint in writing during the ensuing days. Mr Turnbull found out about the allegations on December 5.
The Turnbull government then launched an internal investigation which found he had breached the Ministerial code of conduct.
Mr Turnbull told Mr Briggs, who had been dumped from the ministry after Tony Abbott’s demise only to be reinstated when Bruce Billson refused a junior ministry, that the conduct was unacceptable and he resigned. Labor yesterday accused Mr Turnbull of a West Wing style “take out the trash day” dumping multiple lots of bad news together to dilute the information ahead of an early election in March.
Mr Briggs confirmed he invited a group of officials to dinner before he was joined in a bar late at night by the woman and his chief-of-staff.
“We went to a popular, and as it transpired, a very crowded bar, for drinks during which we interacted between the three of us and with others in what I believed at the time was an informal manner,’’ he said.
“At the conclusion of the evening, the public servant left to return home and my chief-of-staff and I returned to our hotel together.”
Mr Briggs said the woman made a complaint in the following days before he apologised.
“In the days following the evening, the public servant concerned raised concerns about the appropriateness of my behaviour towards her at the venue,’’ he said.
“I have apologised directly to her, but after careful reflection about the concerns she raised and the fact that I was at a bar late at night while on an overseas visit, I have concluded that this behaviour has not met the particularly high standards required for ministers.”
In a statement, Mr Turnbull said he believed Mr Briggs’ conduct had fallen short of what is expected of a government minister.
“Ministers are expected to uphold high standards of behaviour as set out in the Ministerial Standards,’’ he said.
“On this occasion his conduct fell short of that standard.
‘‘After being invited to reflect on his position, he offered his resignation which I have accepted.”
Despite standing by Mr Brough during two weeks of parliamentary attacks by the Opposition, Mr Turnbull now believes the Special Minister of State had done the right thing.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann will act in that role, Defence Minister Marise Payne will act as Minister for Defence Materiel, while Environment Minister Greg Hunt will act as Minister for the Built Environment.
Acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek yesterday said it was disgraceful that Mr Turnbull had let the matter drag on as long as he had.
“It is incredible that the government has waited until now to release information as serious as two ministers actually having to give up their ministerial responsibility because of their behaviour,” Ms Plibersek said.
“It is clear that the government has used this quiet time between Christmas and New Year to try to get all of the bad news out in one go in the hope that they can clear the decks for an early election next year.’’
SLIPPER SCANDAL CLAIMS A NEW SCALP
Daniel Meers
THE investigation into whether Mal Brough illegally procured the diaries of former Speaker Peter Slipper is a long way from being determined after it was revealed the MP hasn’t been interviewed by the Australian Federal Police.
Mr Brough wrote to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday, advising him he would stand down as Special Minister of State and Minister for Defence Materiel while the investigation continued because there was no sign of a quick outcome.
The controversy surrounding the key Turnbull lieutenant was masked by the scandal surrounding Cities Minister Jamie Briggs. “I have taken this decision at this time because I have not received any indication of when the investigation will be concluded,’’ Mr Brough wrote in the letter.
Mr Brough’s home was raided by the AFP in November as part of the investigation into whether he illegally advised Mr Slipper’s former staffer James Ashby to gain the diary.
At the time, Mr Ashby had started a sexual harassment case against Mr Slipper while Mr Brough was seeking to win Mr Slipper’s Sunshine Coast seat. Mr Brough told Mr Turnbull the matter had been on the public record for a lengthy period and he believed the AFP should have concluded the matter by now.
“In mid-December my lawyer again contacted the AFP informing them of my willingness to be interviewed at the earliest opportunity,’’ he wrote.
“It disappoints me that this matter hasn’t been resolved by this time.”
Mr Brough remains confident he will be cleared.
Mr Turnbull said the decision to stand down was the right one, despite arguing in parliament Mr Brough had no need to.
“In offering to stand aside Mr Brough has done the right thing, recognising the importance of the government maintaining an unwavering focus on jobs, economic growth and national security,’’ Mr Turnbull said in a statement.
FULL STATEMENT BY JAMIE BRIGGS
“I have today written to the Governor-general tendering my resignation as Minister for Cities and the Built Environment with immediate effect.
My decision has been made after careful reflection about certain matters that occurred during an official visit to Hong Kong in late November of this year.
At the conclusion of the official programme for the day, my Chief of Staff and I went for dinner and we invited several other officials of which one female public servant agreed to attend. At the conclusion of the dinner (which I paid for personally) we went to a popular and as it transpired very crowded bar for drinks during which we interacted between the three of us and with others in what I believed, at the time, was an informal manner. At the conclusion of the evening, the public servant left to return home and my Chief of Staff and I returned to our hotel together.
At no point was it my intention to act inappropriately and I’m obliged to note for the record that nothing illegal has been alleged or did in fact occur.
However, in the days following the evening the public servant raised a concern about the appropriateness of my behaviour towards her at the venue.
I have apologised directly to her but after careful reflection about the concerns she raised and the fact that I was at a bar, late at night while on an overseas visit, I have concluded that this behaviour has not met the particularly high standards required of Ministers. Therefore the proper course for me is to resign. This was an error of professional judgment.
In doing so I apologise again to the public servant involved (who I have not named to protect her privacy and at her request) to you and to all members of the Government and to the wider community for my actions which have given me cause to consider aspects of my behaviour which I will address.
I will be working hard in my electorate to ensure the re-election of the Government.”
THE RISE AND FALL OF JAMIE BRIGGS
â– Born June 9, 1977.
â– Grew up in Mildura. Father a Commonwealth Bank teller and mother a Catholic college canteen volunteer.
â– Promising junior golfer and cricketer who moved to Adelaide to play at Glenelg Cricket Club in a deal organised by former state captain and Mildura expat Jamie Siddons.
â– Married to fellow former John Howard prime ministerial staffer Estee Fiebiger Briggs. Father of two girls and a boy.
â– Worked as employment relations adviser for Business SA 2000-02. Started a Bachelor of Management degree but did not finish.
â– Research assistant to state Upper House Liberal Rob Lucas 2002-03.
â– Adviser to then Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews 2003-04.
â– Senior adviser to then Prime Minister John Howard 2004-07. Specialist in industrial relations, helped create WorkChoices policy.
â– In a 2008 by-election, replaced former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer in Adelaide Hills seat of Mayo, which stretches from Springton in the north to Goolwa in the South.
â– Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development from September 18, 2013, until September 21, 2015.
â– Long-time Canberra housemate of former treasurer Joe Hockey.
â– Infamously tore anterior cruciate ligament during booze-fuelled horseplay in Parliament House with outgoing Prime Minister Tony Abbott on night of leadership coup in September. Denies accusations he danced atop broken marble table. Mr Abbott paid for the table’s repair.
â– Appointed Cities and Built Environment Minister by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on September 21. Believed to have been due for sack until Victorian MP Bruce Billson declined the portfolio.
â– November 27. Involved in a late-night incident with a female public servant in a Hong Kong bar, which later results in his resignation for not meeting “the particularly high standards required of ministers”. Understood to have involved Mr Briggs telling the public servant she had piercing eyes, putting his arm around her and giving her a farewell kiss on the cheek.
â– December 29. Announces he has quit the federal ministry in an Adelaide press conference. Will contest election due next year.
Originally published as Jamie Briggs and Mal Brough: Frontbench upheaval as Liberal ministers resign
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