Barnaby Joyce, Australia’s deputy PM, resigns over sex scandal

Australia’s deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, has been forced to resign after he became mired in a number of sexual and financial scandals.

The final straw came yesterday, when it emerged that Joyce, who leads the Nationals, the junior partner in Australia’s coalition government, had been accused by an unnamed woman of sexual harassment.

He denied the allegation, labelling it “spurious and defamatory”, The Guardian reports, but acting Prime Minister Matthias Cormann described it as “extremely serious”.

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Joyce first came under fire two weeks ago when it was revealed that his marriage had broken down late last year because of an affair he had with a former member of his staff, who is now pregnant with his child.

He was also accused of improperly assisting the staff member of securing three lucrative roles with other MPs during the affair.

Questions had also been raised over Joyce’s decision to accept free accommodation following the breakdown of his marriage from a businessman who had dealings with Joyce's ministerial department.

The ABC reports that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is in the US to meet Donald Trump, has “thanked Joyce for his service”, calling him a “fierce advocate for rural and regional Australia”.

Turnbull had repeatedly declined to express support for Joyce, as calls for the deputy Prime Minister to step down intensified.