Australian deputy PM steps down over allegations of extra-marital affair

A few days after a sexual harassment complaint was filed against Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, the leader who came into power two years ago has announced his resignation amid a scandal over an extra-marital affair.

Barnaby who has been accused of having an affair with one of his staffers revealed also that he will be stepping down from his role as leader of the right-of-centre National Party of Australia declaring that his decisions will take effect on Monday.

“I will continue to fight for the people in the weatherboard and iron, for the people on the peripheral and the small regional towns,” Joyce wrote on Twitter.

Read also: UN deputy resigns over allegations of sexual misconduct

“I used my experience of these towns and my goal in life will always be to try to make their lives better.”

Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a ban on government ministers having sex with their employees and later called Joyce’s actions a “shocking error of judgement”.

Barnaby however, hit back, calling Turnbull “inept” and implied that he had not told him of the decision to resign when asked if had done so by reporters.

 

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