Politics
By political reporters Georgia Hitch and Stephanie Borys
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says no action will be taken against ministers following a Four Corners report into alleged misconduct, while the Attorney-General denies ever being in a relationship with a political staffer.
Key points:
- The Prime Minister says ministers understand the expectations placed upon them
- A Four Corners investigation has revealed concerns about Christian Porter's attitude towards women
- Mr Porter has denied the claims made against him
Questions have been raised about Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter's attitude towards women, after a Four Corners investigation revealed a history of sexism and inappropriate behaviour.
The program also revealed that Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge had an affair with a former adviser in 2017. Mr Tudge has apologised for his actions and the hurt they caused.
When asked whether the report raised concerns about either man's fitness for office, Mr Morrison said he believed the issues it touched on were "very important".
But he said the behaviour occurred under, and was dealt with by, previous prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, and he would not be taking disciplinary action or investigating the matters further.
"They relate to circumstances that occurred that were pertinent to the Prime Minister at the time, and put to the Cabinet and the Ministry, and those matters were dealt with then," he said.
"It raises considerable cost and hurt, we are all accountable for our own behaviour.
"But, you know, when you get past all the other issues around this issue, all I know is there are a number of families that have been broken, and there are some people who are really hurting over this."
Under the Ministerial Standards, ministers are banned from having sexual relations with staff in their offices, a rule first introduced by Mr Turnbull and dubbed the "bonk ban".
"I believe that was a very important step in changing a culture," Mr Morrison said.
"And that culture, you will all know, is not restricted to Government or Opposition, to Labor or Liberal, or frankly, the media."
Speaking alongside Mr Morrison, Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said she had always felt supported by him and the rest of her Cabinet colleagues.
'No substance' to rumours, Attorney-General says
In the program, Four Corners detailed how Mr Porter raised eyebrows after being seen with a young woman, who was working for a different Cabinet minister, at a bar in Canberra.
Former Liberal staffer Rachelle Miller, who had the affair with Mr Tudge, said she saw the pair "kissing and cuddling" one night in 2017.
Speaking to Perth radio station 6PR, Mr Porter denied he was in a relationship with the woman.
"They indicated that I had, I think implied that I had [been in a relationship] with a person that I had a drink at a bar with," he said.
"I told Malcolm [Turnbull] there was no substance to rumours around that bar story."
When asked whether he had ever had "intimate relations" with any staffers, Mr Porter said there were no other allegations made against him other than the incident at the bar.
The Attorney-General also said he did not believe any further allegations would emerge as a result of the ABC's report.
"I can't comment about what people might want to do to try and damage me or damage the Government, that is part and parcel of politics," Mr Porter said.
"But I haven't conducted myself in a way that I think would lead people to provide that sort of complaint about me."
Mr Porter was also questioned about his behaviour while at university — which included writing sexist comments in a student magazine.
He said the things he did then were not reflective of the person he was now.
"I'm no orphan on looking back on things I wrote and did 25, 30 years ago that make me cringe. Do I regret writing those things? Absolutely," he said.
"I think the show described my behaviour at university as rowdy, in some ways that's something of an understatement. I was way too rowdy.
"I can't undo or redo that period of my life, and I'm not sure that that's a fair indication of who I am now."
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