Jamie Briggs loses seat to former staffer after pre-election scandals
Controversial MP Jamie Briggs has lost the South Australian seat of Mayo following numerous scandals in the lead up to the election.
Briggs conceded defeat to Rebekha Sharkie, his former staffer, of the Nick Xenophon Team.
The former Cities Minister resigned from the frontbench in December after admitting to engaging in inappropriate behaviour towards a female public servant.
On Saturday the scandals came back to haunt him when he lost his seat, which he won in a by-election in 2008.
In the incident that would ultimately claim his political career, he was accused of calling a young staffer's eyes "piercing" before touching her face and kissing her on the cheek or neck while on a ministerial visit in Hong Kong late last year.
At a press conference announcing his resignation as a minister, Briggs said that his behaviour “did not meet the high standards of ministers in his government”.
"At no point was it my intention to act inappropriately … nothing illegal was alleged," Mr Briggs said, adding the woman "raised concerns about his behaviour".
"This was an error of professional judgement," he said, but did not provide specific detail about his actions.
The public servant was not named, but Mr Briggs said the decision to resign came after meeting with Mr Turnbull.
Briggs came face-to-face with the journalist who broke the sexual harassment story on Tuesday and refused to answer any questions about the election.
The awkward stand-off between the MP and ABC reporter Anna Henderson was captured on TV cameras as the red-faced Liberal member responded frostily to all questions put to him.
“I have not a thing to say to you, Anna,” he told her repeatedly.
Briggs was also a suspect behind the infamous broken marble table, which was left shattered after a boisterous late-night party on the night Tony Abbott was overthrown as Prime Minister in September 2015.
Briggs sported a knee injury after the wild celebrations, but denied any involvement in the table incident, claiming the injury was sustained while trying to tackle Abbott.
News break – July 2
