Mark Brindal

The Advertiser: Extortion claim over MP'sgay liaison :

"Police now are investigating the extortion threat, but parliamentary Speaker Bob Such says it is 'not a crime' for MPs to have sex in their offices, 'as long as it is consensual'. Mr Brindal will contest the seat of Adelaide at the next election."

Well, I am so glad we have that clarified. I do wish we would learn to distinguish between private life and public life and privacy and career. It is ridiculous people have to even think of giving up their job because people get hold of their private life and put it up for public viewing, or, as it appears might be the case here, would think to blackmail someone and then think we will dutifully shame the person. How good a politician is Mark Brindal? How well has he represented his electorate? It's a fact of modern life that people have affairs. They just do. The statistics on hanky panky are quite impressive. Mr. Brindal has gone public to try to counter the alleged extortion and to keep his party and family honorable. In this he is providing a great role model. His private life is of no interest to me and I am horrified we can lose people of great expertise over what appears to be human failing/ weakness/ behaviour/ insert your own word here.