Politics

Deputy PM’s office hit by sugar baby scandal as assistant minister resigns

Dec 17, 2018

Broad's resignation was accepted by Deputy PM McCormack on Monday. Source: Twitter/Sky News Australia.

As Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack is arguably the second most powerful politician in the country, but his office made headlines for all the wrong reasons on Monday after it was announced that an assistant minister had resigned over an alleged sugar baby scandal.

Married Assistant Minister Andrew Broad made the decision to step down after New Idea published claims that he had been caught using a ‘seeking arrangements’ website to meet younger woman whilst on taxpayer-funded work trips.

The magazine alleged that Broad met a younger woman by the name of Amy – who goes by the online alias Sweet Sophia Rose – for dinner during a trip to Hong Kong last month, with the woman claiming to have been exchanging messages with Broad for a month prior to their meeting.

Amy claimed to have met the MP on a sugar baby website, which she said she uses to meet men for “dinner and a chat”. So-called sugar baby websites typically see rich older men exchanging their wealth for the company of an attractive younger woman.

MP Andrew Broad resigns over ‘sugar baby’ secret as exclusively exposed by New Idea #auspol https://t.co/gi6iXfD471 pic.twitter.com/TsRDqjcGks

— New Idea magazine (@NewIdeamagazine) December 17, 2018

After agreeing to meet Broad for a dinner date at an upmarket restaurant, Amy claimed she was put off the “arrogant” Nationals pollie as he spent the whole evening complaining about the prices on the menu and bragging about his position within parliament, even allegedly referring to himself as James Bond.

Amy said she came forward because she doesn’t think “someone like that should be in a position of power and making decisions for the country”, adding that he had sent her photographs of himself on the news and told her he was a very important person.

She also said that she blocked Broad’s number after their dinner date, telling New Idea he “wasn’t pleasant to be around”.

Michael McCormack statement on Andrew Broad's resignation from the frontbench #auspol pic.twitter.com/GgG3N1pcWy

— Tom McIlroy (@TomMcIlroy) December 17, 2018

Speaking after the news broke on Monday, Nationals leader McCormack told Sky News: “Andrew has taken the right step to resign this morning. I have accepted that resignation. That is the right and proper course of action.”

McCormack also confirmed that a replacement for Broad will be chosen and announced in due course, while Broad will continue in his role as the federal member for the northern Victorian electorate of Mallee.

Broad was promoted from the backbench to the post of assistant minister following the Liberal leadership spill at the end of August, which saw Scott Morrison replace Malcolm Turnbull as PM.

Starts at 60 has contacted representatives for Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Assistant Minister Broad for comment.

Broad told New Idea that he had reported the matter to the Australian Federal Police. His spokeswoman added there would be no further comment at this time.