Australian Politics: Scott Morrison hit by THIRD leak with Alan Tudge to be sacked over sex scandal

Channel Ten commentator Peter van Onselen has revealed Alan Tudge is expected to be cut by Scott Morrison this week – with his name even being removed from his ministerial offices.

Rachelle Miller, Mr Tudge’s former press secretary, made their consensual relationship public in November, 2020 and claimed he was at times abusive towards her.

The Liberal Party have conducted an internal review into the matter which has lasted several months, with van Onselen reporting the prime minister is set to sack Mr Tudge without his knowledge.

The education minister reportedly attempted to promote Ms Miller from media advisor to senior advisor while in an ‘undisclosed relationship’.

Van Onselen said those explosive reports were put to Mr Tudge during the investigation and will be used to end his political career.

‘It’s expected to be used to justify his dismissal on the grounds of breaching the ministerial code of conduct,’ the co-host of The Project said on Ten News.

The investigation has so far cost the federal government $80,000 in taxpayer funds.

Anonymous MPs described Mr Tudge as a ‘scapegoat’ as Mr Morrison looks to win over women voters and a ‘barnacle that needed to be removed’.

Van Onselen has recently exposed two government leaks including a cabinet argument and texts in which Gladys Berejiklian allegedly called the PM a ‘horrible, horrible person’.

Last week van Onselen reported that Mr Morrison was ‘rolled’ in a cabinet meeting where he proposed a controversial strategy to get enough support for his religious discrimination laws which were debated this week and held up in the senate.

Mr Morrison allegedly proposed allowing Parliament to debate a revamped national corruption watchdog proposal in exchange for support for his religion bill from moderate Liberals and independents.

There was apparently a heated debate in which several ministers including Communications Minister Paul Fletcher passionately spoke out against the plan.

Mr Morrison’s friend Stuart Robert and Finance Minister Simon Birmingham were in favor but it was ultimately deemed too risky and scrapped in an embarrassing defeat for the PM.

Cabinet meetings are secretive and leaks are rare.

Ms Miller said the minister repeatedly chastised, bullied and belittled her.

“He would often ask me to go to dinner or drinks at the end of a long day on the road. I often felt like I didn’t have much choice or couldn’t say no because he was my boss,’ she said.

The former advisor alleged that on one occasion Mr Tudge kicked her until she left his bed after her phone rang early one morning and he became frustrated it woke him.

‘I completely and utterly reject Ms Miller’s version of events,’ Mr Tudge said in a statement on Thursday.

‘Ms Miller and I had a consensual affair in 2017 as both of us have publicly acknowledged. This is something I deeply regret.’

Announcing that Mr Tudge has been stood down, Mr Morrison told Parliament: ‘These issues are obviously deeply concerning and I know deeply distressing, for Ms Miller, minister Tudge and the families affected by these events.

‘I have discussed Ms Miller’s statement with Mr Tudge, who refuted the made.

‘Given the seriousness of the claims made by Ms Miller, it’s important these matters be resolved fairly and expeditiously.

‘To this end, the minister has agreed to my request to stand aside while these issues are addressed by my department, through an independent and fair process, to ensure that the matters that have been raised can be properly assessed and the views put by the respective parties in relation to these issues.’

Van Onselen does not reveal his source for the story, first published in The Australian, instead only quoting a mystery Liberal who said the PM’s plan was ‘too tricky by half’ and a mystery minister who said the PM looked ‘rattled’.

A organized for the Prime Minister said his office does not comment on cabinet meetings.

Van Onselen – who contributes to The Australian and 10 News – quizzed Mr Robert about the cabinet meeting but the minister replied: ‘I do not discuss matters of cabinet confidentiality’.

Two weeks ago Mr Morrison said he is confident that no Cabinet minister tried to undermine him by leaking the Gladys texts.

Marise Payne, Greg Hunt, Karen Andrews, Paul Fletcher, Peter Dutton and Angus Taylor have publicly denied being the leaker.

The second leak came after a turbulent week in Parliament which saw Mr Morrison’s Religious Discrimination Bill – designed to end discrimination on the basis of religion – pass the lower house with support from Labor but get delayed in the senate until March 29.

Last Wednesday Australian of the Year Grace Tame and former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins blasted the PM for a lack of action on women’s safety.

The week before he failed to say the price of bread, was told about texts from Gladys Berejiklian which called him a ‘horrible, horrible person’ and was blasted for backing Mark McGowan’s hard border in WA.

Three conservative commentators tore into Mr Morrison, with Andrew Bolt branding him ‘finished’ after his ‘sad stunt’ washing an apprentice’s hair in a salon on February 4.

Bolt urged conservative favorite Peter Dutton to ‘prepare to lead’.

When van Onselen presented the texts between the former NSW Premier and a mystery Liberal cabinet minister at the National Press Club, he told the PM: ‘I’ve got them right here.’

‘In one, she (Gladys Berejiklian) described you as, quote, “a horrible, horrible person”, going on to say she did not trust you, and you’re more concerned with politics than people.

‘The minister is even more scathing, describing you as a fraud and, quote, “a complete psycho”.

In a statement released hours later, Ms Berejiklian said she had ‘no recollection’ of the remarks, but didn’t deny they were said.

Van Onselen refusal to name his source sparked a witch hunt, with various ministers blamed on social media.

The journalist later addressed criticism that he deliberately picked his moment to ambush the PM with the messages to inflict maximum political damage just months before an election.

‘I was only authorized to use them recently, but I was made aware of them a while ago,’ he wrote on Twitter.