Andrew Broad Says He’ll Quit Parliament After His Alleged Sugar Baby Scandal

And just like that, Nationals MP Andrew Broad has announced he’ll quit parliament entirely at the next federal election.

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The Australian reports the married Member for Mallee will not seek reelection at the end of his current term, following the bombshell allegation he dated a young woman in Hong Kong in a sugar baby-style arrangement. 

“After recent media stories about my private life, it is clear the people of Mallee will be best served in the next Parliament by a different Nationals candidate,” Broad said in a statement.

He acknowledged the impact of the scandal, saying “I have done my best and at times we have achieved good things, but I have also let them down.” 

The withdrawal of his nomination now opens the door for a challenger who hasn’t been accused of a bracingly awkward and partially taxpayer-funded act of infidelity.

The move comes a day after Broad stepped down from his position as Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister.

While the scandal seems likely to impact voter sentiment at the next federal election, it’s potentially better for the minority Morrison government than forcing him to quit right now: that circumstance would necessitate a by-election, and lord knows the Coalition hasn’t been doing too well at those lately. 

There are several lessons to be learned here. The first and foremost is too obvious to mention, but the second is that you shouldn’t discount New Idea to break a story with incredible political repercussions.

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