Social worker Anne Webster puts hand up for Andrew Broad’s seat

Staff in Scott Morrison’s office knew about “sugar daddy” allegations against Andrew Broad weeks before they were made public.

The Prime Minister’s office learned Andrew Broad was facing “legal and personal issues”. Picture: Kym Smith

Scott Morrison’s office knew about “sugar daddy” allegations against former assistant minister Andrew Broad a fortnight before they were made public but staff did not tell the Prime Minister.

The Australian last night established that Mr Morrison’s office became aware of the “rumours” surrounding the Nationals MP’s failed tryst with a Hong Kong “sugar babe” about two weeks before the allegations were published in New Idea.

Mr Morrison’s staff sought further information from Nationals leader Michael McCormack and learned that Mr Broad was facing “legal and personal issues”.

However, the matter was not brought to Mr Morrison’s attention until the morning the New Idea story was published.

It’s understood the Prime Minister’s office held back on briefing Mr Morrison as the version of events provided to Mr McCormack portrayed the matter as a date gone wrong.

Mr McCormack said at the time: “I didn’t think it was a matter that I even knew about, let alone needed to take up with the Prime Minister. The fact is it was a personal trip. He made a very bad ­decision, but a very bad decision I wasn’t aware of all the facts of.”

Earlier this month, Mr Broad, who is married, announced he would not be contesting next year’s federal election after revelations he exchanged sordid texts with a woman he had met on a “sugar daddy” website who used the name “Sophia Rose” and ­arranged to meet in Hong Kong.

Mr Broad was allegedly given a 24-hour ultimatum by Ms Rose to pay her to remain silent. Mr Broad refused to pay her anything and referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police. The AFP advised him that while Ms Rose’s messages constituted extortion, the matter was outside Australia’s jurisdiction.

The latest revelations surrounding the scandal emerged as social worker and Mildura local Anne Webster became the first person to publicly announce she would put her name forward for Nationals party preselection in the seat being ­vacated by Mr Broad.

Social Worker Anne Webster has announced she will run for Nationals pre-selection.

Dr Webster is expected to be joined by a long list of largely ­female contenders to represent the Nationals in the prizednorthwest Victorian seat of Mallee, which will be a three-cornered contest including a Liberal candidate. The Liberal Party’s Victorian director Nick Demiris said the party had decided to go up against the Nationals in Mallee.

Deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie remains tight-lipped over whether she will seek preselection.

A resident of Mallee for 42 years, 59-year-old Dr Webster recent­ly completed a PhD at the Australian National University on adoption in Australia. In 2011, she founded young mother support organisation Zoe Support Australia, which has since assisted more than 150 mothers aged 13-23 to re-engage with education.