Scott Morrison

Australian parliament makes formal apology to rape accuser

Brittany Higgins' case sparked a sweeping review that identified a "boys club" culture in parliament in which sexual harassment is rife.

The apology in parliament on Tuesday was also for others who have suffered sexual misconduct or bullying there.

Mr Morrison has previously faced criticism over his responses.

Ms Higgins, a former staffer for two ministers, was seated in the House of Representatives public gallery to watch the apologies by the prime minister, the opposition leader and others.

Deputy keeps job despite calling Scott Morrison a liar

Mr Joyce apologised after learning that the message - sent last year and passed to a former staffer of Scott Morrison's Liberal Party - was being made public.

The text was dated 22 March, before Mr Joyce took on his current role.

Rejecting his resignation, Mr Morrison said: "We all have our frailties and none of us are perfect."

Mr Joyce, 54, told reporters on Saturday: "I want to apologise to the prime minister... I should have never written the text that I did.

Navy and test teams for border

Prime Minister James Marape said the security and medical measures are being deployed to ensure the land border shared with Indonesia prevent traditional and illegal crossing.

The deployments are in line with the extended State of Emergency for two months in response to the growing number of COVID019 cases around the world.

Prime Minister Marape, said following the special Parliament sitting to extend the SOE, they have gone full steam into beefing up security and medical monitoring at the PNG Indonesian border.

Scott Morrison's rise to Australia's top job

In 2006, he was Tourism Australia's inaugural managing director, but it wasn't Mr Morrison's first experience at crafting catchy, cut-through slogans - a skill he would later use to great effect during his rapid rise in federal politics.

Years earlier, he'd been involved in the highly acclaimed "100% Pure New Zealand" campaign after being recruited to set up that country's Office of Tourism and Sport.

With a year remaining on his contract he returned to Sydney in early 2000 to take up the job of state director of the NSW Liberal Party.