Scott Morrison has been forced to apologise for incorrectly targeting Sky News Australia during a press conference.
In what was a wild and criticised address, the Prime Minister warned a Sky journalist to not throw stones at glass houses when Andrew Clennell dug into workplace culture in Parliament House.
It followed a Liberal Party staffer being immediately sacked for masturbating over a female MP's desk.
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Mr Morrison falsely claimed there was a current HR investigation at News Corp Australia, saying at the press conference: "In your own organisation [...] there is a person who has had a complaint made against them for harassment of a woman in a women's toilet and that matter is being pursued by your own HR department."
The Prime Minister was called out for potentially airing an issue that the complainant might not have wanted to be made public.
But News Corp Australia has since come out to say that no such allegation has been made nor is there a HR investigation.
Executive Chairman Michael Miller issued a statement saying: "Prime Minister Scott Morrison was wrong today to claim an investigation is under way into a complaint accusing an employee of harassment against a woman in a female toilet.
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"No complaint has been received by News Corp and Sky News are not dealing with a complaint."
Mr Miller added that the company was looking into a separate matter and that's where Mr Morrison might have heard it from.
"The exchange was about a workplace-related issue, it was not of a sexual nature, it did not take place in a toilet and neither person made a complaint," he said.
"Following those inquiries, our HR team wrote to one of the people involved and the matter was resolved.
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"The Prime Minister appears to have joined these two matters and conflated them into an episode of harassment in a toilet that is under current investigation."
Scott Morrison has since made an apology for getting mixed up on the national stage.
"In the course of today's media conference when responding to further questions I deeply regret my insensitive response to a question from a News Ltd journalist by making an anonymous reference to an incident at News Ltd that has been rejected by the company," he said in a post on Facebook.
"I accept their account. I was wrong to raise it, the emotion of the moment is no excuse.I especially wish to apologise to the individual at the centre of the incident and others directly impacted.
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"I had no right to raise this issue and especially without their permission.
"What matters now is doing everything in my authority to take the actions that are needed to fix the culture in our Parliament and work to make Australia a safer place for women.
"It is also of the utmost importance that I continue to focus on the needs of those facing our flood crisis, and continuing to lead our country out of the COVID-19 pandemic and global recession."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Australia