Sex scandal opens rift in embattled Oz govt

Sydney, Feb 16: Australia’s parliamentary sex scandal opened a rift in the governing coalition on Friday as deputy leader Barnaby Joyce described Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as “inept” for criticising his affair with an aide.

Joyce, 50, whose National Party rules alongside Mr Turnbull’s Liberals, admitted last week to having an affair with his 33- year- old media adviser, who is pregnant with their child.

Mr Turnbull on Thursday harshly admonished Joyce for making a “shocking error of judgement” for the affair and said he had created a “world of woe” for his wife, four daughters and lover Vikki Campion.

Mr Turnbull, head of the Liberal Party, acknowledged that he was powerless to remove Joyce, who holds the deputy position as leader of smaller National Party, on which he relies to govern. He instead announced that a formal ban on sexual relations between cabinet members and their staff would be added to the ministerial code of conduct.

Joyce hit back in a defiant press conference in Canberra on Friday, refusing to resign and accusing Turnbull of interfering with internal National Party affairs. He blasted the PM’s comments as “inept”, “unnecessary” and causing “further harm”. “I don’t believe people should be resigning in any job over personal issues,” Joyce added. “In any workplace in Australia, when personal issues become the determination of a job, then I think we’ve moved to a very sad place,” he said.