The Office of the Prime Minister may have been aware of the scandal surrounding Nationals MP Andrew Broad for several weeks before the allegations of inappropriate behaviour became public.

The Sydney Morning Herald claims that the Prime Minister’s Office had been aware that National’s MP Andrew Broad had been using a ‘Sugar Daddy’ website to meet young women and had been approached by a woman he went on a date with who had allegedly demanded payment to keep her stories out of the media.

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that he only became aware of the situation when it was published in New Idea magazine and Broad offered his resignation as Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister. It has now been revealed that his office was aware of the situation for several weeks, although it is not clear if anyone informed the Prime Minister.

Deputy Prime Minister, and Nationals leader, Michael McCormack initially told the media that he had been aware of the situation for a few weeks, but later clarified his remarks, acknowledging that he had been informed in early November.

Earlier this week it was revealed that the woman who met up with MP Andrew Broad for a dinner date in Hong Kong had subsequently asked him for an “allowance” of AUD$1,400 to stop his embarrassing text messages being made public.

Among the messages are comments from the MP saying how much he wants to have sex with the young woman. Broad, who is married, has a long history of presenting himself as a “family values” politician. He was a vocal opponent of allowing same-sex couples being allowed to wed.

Labor’s Anthony Albanese says it’s time for the Prime Minister to come clean and let the Australian people know who knew what, and when.

OIP Staff