Former Liberal MP Phil Edman defends “therapeutic” massage during Japan visit

Former Liberal MP Phil Edman, named in a CCC report over his Japanese massage, says text messages about trying “Japanese honey” were just “banter”.

Former Liberal MP Phil Edman — named in a Corruption and Crime Commission report over his trip to a massage parlour in Japan — says text messages before the visit about trying “Japanese honey” and being sexually frustrated were just “banter”.

After avoiding the media since the embarrassing CCC report came out in March, Mr Edman told 6PR he paid for the “therapeutic” massage with his own money and there was nothing sexual about it.

“It’s not what the text messages said, but what actually happened,” he said.

“The CCC found that I did not engage in any illegal or improper activity.”

The CCC found that Mr Edman contacted the State Government’s commissioner in Japan Craig Peacock ahead of an official visit to Tokyo by himself and two other MPs and asked him to put an itinerary together, including a geisha bar visit because “the boys” were sexually frustrated.

“Never had Japanese honey before,” he said in one text.

But Mr Edman said he went to get a traditional massage from a bathhouse and paid for it it out of his own pocket.

He also said the massage cost $150 and not the $750 reported by the CCC.

“We didn’t know Mr Peacock was arranging it using a member of staff on paid time,” the former Upper House MP said.

Mr Edman, who lost his seat in 2017, said he had no intention of returning to politics.

Originally published as Former Liberal MP Phil Edman defends “therapeutic” massage during Japan visit