Malcolm Turnbull under pressure as kissing scandal worsens

(The Straits Times)Australia'sPrimeMinisterMalcolmTurnbullfacesadeepeningpoliticalscandaloveranincidentinwhichagovernmentministerallegedlykissedafemalediplomatinaHongKongbar.

MrJamieBriggs,whoismarriedwiththreechildren,wasforcedtoresignasMinisterforCitieslastweekaftertheyoungwomancomplainedabouthisbehaviour.Hereportedlykissedherontheneckorcheekandtoldhershehad"piercing"eyes.

MrBriggs,38,saidhisbehaviourwasnotillegalbutadmittedthelate-nightdrinkingsessionwasan"errorofprofessionaljudgment".

Butthescandalhasonlyworsenedinrecentdays.

First,itemergedovertheweekendthatMrBriggshadsentaphotofromthenighttocolleagues.

Thesagatookafurtherturnwhenthephotoappearedinweekendnewspapers.ThispromptedImmigrationMinisterPeterDuttontodescribeajournalistinatextmessageasa"madf-ingwitch".UnfortunatelyforMrDutton,heaccidentallysentthetextmessagetothejournalistherselfratherthantoMrBriggs.

Helaterapologisedtothejournalist,MsSamanthaMaiden.

"SamandIhaveexchangedsomerobustlanguageovertheyears,sowehadalaughafterthisandIapologisedtoherstraightawaywhichshetookingoodfaith,"hesaidinastatement.

MsMaidensaidyesterdayshewasnotoffendedanddidnotregardthemessageassexist.SheaddedshedidnotbelieveMrDuttonshouldbeforcedtoresign.

"Isenthimatextimmediatelysaying'youknowmate,you'vesentthatmadwitchtexttothemadwitch'andhewasmorethanhappytoapologiserightaway,"shetoldChannelNine.

TheseriesofscandalshasdominatedheadlinesandforcedMrTurnbull,asonecommentatorsaid,to"start2016witha2015hangover".

MrTurnbull,whooustedMrTonyAbbottinSeptemberlastyear,iswellaheadintheopinionpollsbutfacesageneralelectionlaterthisyear.

Hewasforcedtointerveneyesterday,expressingangerabouttheleakandsubsequentpublicationofthephotoofthediplomat.HesaidthelanguageinMrDutton'stextmessagewasclearlyinappropriate.

"Publishingtheidentityofacomplainantinacaselikethisnotonlyinfringestheirprivacy,itservesactivelytodiscourageotherwomenwhoareconcernedabouttheconductofasuperiorfromraisingacomplaintinthefuture,"hetoldFairfaxMedia.

TheresignationsofMrBriggsandanotherministerlastweek,coupledwiththetextmessage,havepresentedapoliticalheadacheforMrTurnbull.HewillnowhavetoreshufflehisCabinettoreplacetheministers-amovethatcanoftenresultinpoliticalenemies.

TheoppositiondescribedthetextmessageasatestofMrTurnbull'sleadership,sayingmostAustralians"don'twantwomenspokenaboutinthisway".

ActingLaborleaderPennyWongcalledMrDutton'sbehaviourboorishand"unbecomingofanyone,letaloneaseniorCabinetminister".

"ThisisatestofMalcolmTurn-bull'sleadershipandheshouldcomeoutandexplainPeterDutton'sposition,whythebehaviourisacceptableor,ifit'snot,whatisbeingdoneaboutitand,mostimportantly,howitisconsistentwiththeministerialstandardsthatMrTurnbullprofessestoendorse,"shesaid.

AustralianfeministandsociologistEvaCoxsaidMrDutton'stextmessagewassexistandreflectedpoorpoliticaljudgment.

"ItisasignalthatPeterDuttonhimselfisnotverygoodatjudgingwhatheshouldandshouldnotsay,"shetoldABCNews."Itissomethingyouexpectoflittleboysintheplayground,notaseniorministerwhoissupposedtohavegoodmanners."