Jamie Briggs bar incident is a 'serious matter': Turnbull

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has described the bar incident that led to Jamie Briggs' resignation from Cabinet as "a serious matter", contradicting earlier reports it was just innocent flirting.

Jamie Briggs, the Minister for Cities and the Built Environment, announced his immediate resignation on Tuesday after a late-night incident with a female public servant at a crowded Hong Kong bar.

The incident is said to have involved Mr Briggs, who is married and has three children, kissing the woman's cheek and making a remark about her "piercing eyes".

In his first statement on the scandal, Mr Turnbull said two investigations were launched after the female employee of Australia's Consulate-General, who is aged in her 20s, complained about Mr Briggs' behaviour.

"This is a serious matter," he said.

"It was considered very carefully with due process, consultation with senior colleagues, it was considered very, very carefully.

"Ministerial standards were breached. His conduct did not live up to the standard required of ministers and as a consequence, he reflected on that and made a decision to offer his resignation which I accepted and it was the appropriate course of action."

The bar scandal is not the first time this year Mr Briggs has been involved in an alcohol-related incident.

In September, a day after Malcolm Turnbull ousted Tony Abbott as prime minister, an injured Mr Briggs was filmed being pushed into a Liberal Party meeting in a wheelchair after a party held for Mr Abbott.

The injury was explained as resulting from attempting to playfully tackle Mr Abbott.

Mr Briggs is expected to remain in Federal Parliament as a backbencher.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald