Why are taxpayers forking out over half a million dollars to Alan Tudge’s ex-lover Rachelle Miller?

While Anthony Albanese made national headlines over his failure to answer two simple questions, the PM has a query of his own to address.

It’s a question the Prime Minister can’t or won’t answer and no, it doesn’t involve interest rates.

Why are taxpayers forking out over half a million dollars - well over - in a financial settlement to Liberal frontbencher Alan Tudge’s ex-lover Rachelle Miller?

What is the payout for?

And, a bonus question: when is getting into bed naked with your press secretary “not sex”?

If you’ve been following this saga, Ms Miller alleges she was bullied by Mr Tudge - a claim he denies - when she worked for him as a press secretary.

As news.com.au revealed on Monday, she’s now finalising a settlement worth more than $500,000, plus legal fees, after her lawyers at Gordon Legal lodged a workplace claim with the Department of Finance.

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But get this - the Prime Minister insists Mr Tudge did nothing wrong and he’s got a report to prove it.

You see, the Prime Minister commissioned a report this year - at a cost of $55,000 - and guess what?

It found Mr Tudge had not breached ministerial standards.

The respected Vivienne Thom found, on the balance of probabilities, that she could not make a finding of wrongdoing.

Crucially, however, Ms Miller did not participate in that inquiry on legal advice.

So, what does Mr Tudge admit?

For those just joining us, Mr Tudge admits to being “intimate” with his staffer - which he insists did not involve actual sex. He rejects any claim of bullying and says the “intimacy” was consensual.

Like Bill Clinton, Mr Tudge appears to be relying on a particular definition of what constitutes sexual intercourse and what doesn’t, at least according to him.

How modern.

Perhaps this is the values agenda that can now be taught in Australian schools when he is returned to his rightful job as education minister?

After all, as the Prime Minister explained on Monday, it’s all about values.

“I want Alan back in there, making sure our kids are getting taught the right stuff,” he said.

Hear, hear!

But this is a serious matter, because it goes to the conduct of a cabinet minister and a serious amount of taxpayers’ money.

Ms Miller also had complaints about being bundled out of Liberal frontbencher Michaelia Cash’s office in the aftermath of the affair, in what she described as a fake redundancy.

Senator Cash denies Ms Miller was mistreated in her office, in fact she insists they bent over backwards to accommodate her.

As an aside, Senator Cash’s office has become renowned in Liberal circles for dealing with “troubled female staffers”.

Rachelle Miller. Picture : NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the seat of Gilmore on Monday. Picture: Jason Edwards

It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence they all end up there, there’s a purpose to it.

And it’s all about managing problems and sensitive issues.

But everyone seems to have forgotten about that part. For now, anyway.

Instead, everyone’s eyes are locked on the Education Minister’s zipper and the enduring mystery of his status in cabinet.

Who could solve this mystery?

The Finance Minister Simon Birmingham must be all over it right? Well, no.

“It’s a tricky question,’’ Finance Minister Simon Birmingham diplomatically explained on Sydney radio.

“In the sense that negotiations to settle employee claims are handled confidentially and at arm’s length from ministers by ComCover and relevant entities.”

How convenient. How bizarre. How utterly ridiculous.

Regardless, what’s now clear is that the entire time that the Prime Minister was publicly insisting that there was no finding of any wrongdoing against Mr Tudge, the Department of Finance was negotiating with Ms Miller’s lawyers.

Both before and after the Thom report was completed, another legal process was unfolding.

And now it’s set to cost taxpayers up to a million dollars. Plus legal fees that will run into six figures.

Despite the fact that the Prime Minister insists his cabinet ministers, who employed Ms Miller, did absolutely nothing wrong.

How good is it? How good is that?

Originally published as Why are taxpayers forking out over half a million dollars to Alan Tudge’s ex-lover Rachelle Miller?