Malcolm Turnbull bans sex between ministers and their staff
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has banned his ministers from having sex with their staff, in his first press conference addressing Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce's affair with his former media advisor Vikki Campion, who is now pregnant with his child.
Following the announcement that his scandal-plagued deputy would be taking “personal leave” next week, the PM declared the ministerial code of conduct had been changed to forbid ministers engaging in sexual relations with their staff, regardless of whether they were married or single.
“I do not care whether they are married or single, I don't care. They must not have sexual relations with their staff, that's it,” Mr Turnbull said.
He added: "Today, in 2018, it is not acceptable for a minister to have a sexual relationship with somebody who works for them, it is a very bad workplace practice and everybody knows that no good comes of it," he said.
"This is the standard that I will hold — from this day forth — all my ministers to."
Mr Turnbull said the ministerial code of conduct had been rewritten to formally ban relationships between ministers and their staff.
“Doing so will constitute a breach of the standards and while this new standard is very specific, ministers should be acutely aware of the context in which I am making this change and the need for them always to behave in their personal relations with others.”
He added that politicians had to accept giving up some privacy.
"We have to recognise that here in this place we have such important responsibilities and we don't, in practical terms, have the privacy that many others do, we have to acknowledge that we must have a higher standard," he said.
In the strongest sign that the prime minster has lost confidence in his deputy, Mr Turnbull publicly dressed down Mr Joyce, calling his affair and subsequent handling of the situation "a shocking error of judgement" that "set off a world of woe".
"Barnaby made a shocking error of judgement in having an affair with a young woman working in his office,” he said.
"In doing so he has set off a world of woe for those women, and appalled all of us.
"Our hearts go out to them."
The PM also encouraged Mr Joyce to use his time off to “consider his position”.
Asked repeatedly by the media whether Mr Joyce should resign, Mr Turnbull indicated his hands were tied and could not sack his deputy.
"These are matters for Barnaby Joyce to reflect on," he said.
Senate leader Mathias Cormann will be acting Prime Minister next week when Mr Turnbull is visiting the US.