INTERNATIONAL: The federal education minister, Alan Tudge, will stand aside while an investigation into allegations made by his former staffer is carried out.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, on Thursday has announced an investigation to be carried out by the former bureaucrat Vivienne Thom into the allegations Rachelle Miller made regarding her 2017 relationship with Tudge. The issues are obviously deeply concerning and deeply distressing for Ms Miller, minister Tudge and the families affected by these events. He has also confirmed that he had asked the country's education minister, Alan Tudge to temporarily step down during an investigation into allegations of an abusive extramarital affair.

The Education Minister, Alan Tudge was accused of physically and emotionally abusing a former staff member. But he "completely and utterly rejects the allegations" about the relationship in a statement, which he has claimed occurred in 2017 and was consensual. But Prime Minister Morrison has commented that the severity of the allegations meant Tudge should stand down.

The prime minister has added that It is important these matters be resolved fairly and expeditiously. To this end, the Minister Tudhe has agreed to the request of the premier to stand aside while these issues are addressed by the premier’s department with any further advice regarding any implications for the ministerial standards.

Rachelle Miller, who has worked as Tudge’s press secretary while he was human services minister in the Turnbull government, first admitted to an extramarital affair with her boss in the November 2020 Four Corners episode Inside the Canberra Bubble.

On Thursday, just days after the release of the Jenkins review into parliamentary culture, Miller has revealed her relationship with Tudge was “more complicated”, saying it was defined by a power imbalance. She alleged it was at times “abusive”. Tudge has denied the allegations.

Tudge said “given the immense personal impact” of the allegations he would take a period of leave between now and Christmas. But he said he “completely and utterly rejected” the accusations. The minister says both of them have acknowledged publicly that they had a consensual affair in 2017. It is something that he has regretted deeply because both of them were married at the time and he knews it was wrong. It contributed to the end of his marriage.

The federal education minister was quoted as saying, “Ms Miller and I worked closely together in 2017. It involved constant travel, long hours and often we were under pressure. We became attracted to each other and on a small number of occasions that attraction was acted upon. It should not have happened.”

^{PHOTO: FILE FOOTAGE OF AUSTRALIAN MINISTER ALAN TUDGE / SOUNDBITES FROM AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON}