Australian minister to quit politics over sex scandal

An Australian government minister, Andrew Broad, who resigned from his role over allegations of improper behaviour with a younger woman, on Tuesday said he would quit politics in 2019.

Broad resigned from his role as assistant minister to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack on Monday after a tabloid magazine claimed the lawmaker, who is married, used a dating website to meet younger girls during government travel.

“After recent media stories about my private life, it is clear that the people of Mallee will be best served in the next parliament by a different Nationals candidate,” Broad, a lawmaker with the centre-right Nationals party, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Broad will continue as a parliamentarian until the next general election, which is due to be held by May.

Broad said he had let down his family, staff, party and voters and the community.

The article in the magazine New Idea quoted a woman claiming she had dinner with Broad at a Hong Kong restaurant in November after connecting through a dating website.

The woman, allegedly 20 years younger than the 43-year-old lawmaker, claimed that he boasted about his role as assistant minister, acted inappropriately and described himself as “James Bond” numerous times. (dpa/NAN)