Aussie Ministers barred from having sex with staff

PM slams Deputy Barnaby Joyce over ‘shocking error’ by having an affair that left an aide pregnant.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce had an affair with Vikki Campion, a young woman working in his office, that left Ms. Campon pregnant.

Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull imposed a formal ban on sex between Ministers and their staff on Thursday after his deputy made “a shocking error of judgment” by having an affair that left an aide pregnant and the government reeling.

Mr. Turnbull announced the amendment to the ministerial code of conduct at an extraordinary press conference during which he slammed deputy Barnaby Joyce for causing “terrible hurt and humiliation” to his wife and four children.

“Barnaby made a shocking error of judgment in having an affair with a young woman working in his office,” he said.

Such a sex taboo, he says

Mr. Turnbull amended the code of conduct to make it unequivocally clear that “Ministers, regardless of whether they are married or single, must not engage in sexual relations with staff”.

Mr. Joyce, 50, has been under immense pressure since his affair with former media adviser Vikki Campion, 33, who is now pregnant with their child, became public last week.

Mr. Joyce, whose National Party is in a coalition with Mr. Turnbull’s Liberals, will take leave next week.

Mr. Turnbull could sack Mr. Joyce, but that risks fracturing the ruling coalition and could cause a rift between the Liberal and National parties.

Mr. Joyce admitted to the affair after a picture of his pregnant lover was splashed across the front page of The Sydney Daily Telegraph , and has publicly apologised to his wife Natalie and their daughters.