Australian minister forced out after dancing in his underpants at drunken office party

An Australian minister has been forced to quit following reports that he danced in his underwear at a parliamentary office party.

Matt Brown, 36, resigned only three days after he was sworn in as police minister of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state.

'I'm a human being and I made a mistake and I'm going to cop the consequences of that mistake,' Mr Brown said. 'I behaved in a manner not befitting a minister.'

The Australian newspaper reported that Mr Brown danced in 'very brief' underpants to techno music on a leather couch during a drunken late night party in his Parliament House office three months ago. He was then housing minister.

Witnesses said he 'mounted the chest' of a female politician and simulated a sex act.

Brown did not deny stripping, but said he had not tried to simulate sex with his colleague.

The party occurred in parliament three months before Brown was sworn in as police minister.  

The resignation was a blow to the centre-left state government, already reeling from months of political scandal, leadership instability and poor opinion polls.

NSW accounts for 30 percent of Australia's $1 trillion economy.   

State Premier Nathan Rees, sworn in with Brown after a leadership tussle, promised a more accountable government and said Brown had to go because he initially promised that 'absolutely nothing untoward' occurred during the party.

'I subsequently put it to former minister Brown late last night that 'there are too many reports of you in your underwear for me to ignore',' Mr Rees told local radio.

'Embarrassed doesn't begin to describe it. He conceded he'd been in his underwear and that gave me no option but to demand his resignation,'  Mr Rees said