CANBERRA (Boscutti Report) — Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull will move to ban unprotected sexual relationships between ministers and their staff, in response to a scandal which has engulfed Deputy Prime Minister and National Party Leader Barnaby Joyce.
Mr Turnbull announced the ban at the end of a parliamentary week dominated by controversy over Joyce’s relationship with a former staffer, Vikki Campion, the end of Joyce’s 24-year marriage, and Campion’s pregnancy.
Mr Turnbull said his deputy’s ‘shocking error of judgment’ and subsequent ‘world of woe’ for the women in his life could have been avoided with the use of condoms.
‘Look, I know Barnaby’s a little hard up for cash but he could have picked up some free condoms from the Canberra Sexual Health Centre,’ he said.
Mr Turnbull said Mr Joyce had taken personal leave to avoid becoming an ongoing political liability.