Updated
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has rejected Labor's demands to sack his Employment Minister Michaelia Cash.
Key points:
- Turnbull says Cash was misled by own staffer, and she corrected record
- Labor maintains Cash should be responsible for actions of advisers
- Greens renewing calls for national anti-corruption watchdog
Senator Cash is under pressure because her senior media adviser tipped off some journalists about police raids on the Australian Workers' Union offices on Tuesday.
The Employment Minister repeatedly told Senate Estimates yesterday neither she nor her office had leaked the information about the raids.
But she was later forced to tell the committee her adviser had confessed to the leak and resigned.
Mr Turnbull stared down the Opposition's push for Senator Cash to resign or be sacked over the leak and misleading the Senate.
"She was misled," Mr Turnbull said.
"And once her staffer told the truth and made the admission that he had done the wrong thing, she corrected the record. She acted entirely properly.
Photo:
Malcolm Turnbull vigorously defended his Employment Minister during Question Time. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
"The Minister for Employment advised me she did not advise any journalists about the raid and that is precisely what she has said in the Senate during Estimates."
Labor has insisted the Minister should be responsible for the actions of her adviser.
But the Prime Minister focused on the actions of the staff member instead, saying it was "very, very wrong" and an "improper act of indiscretion".
"He was wrong to do what he admitted to but he was right to resign," Mr Turnbull said.
The Opposition repeatedly tried to link Mr Turnbull to the issue.
Labor frontbencher Tony Burke pressed the PM on whether he had questioned Senator Cash about whether her staff leaked the information about the raids.
"Did the Prime Minister in fact ask this question, or had he already been advised it was safer to not ask?" Mr Burke asked.
Mr Turnbull brushed the question aside.
Greens renew push for national ICAC
But Greens leader Richard di Natale said Senator Cash should resign because, "she is either implicated in this or she is incompetent in having staff going rogue".
Photo:
Michaelia Cash repeatedly told Senate Estimates yesterday her office had not leaked the information. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
"When you are a minister, the buck stops with you, no excuses, you don't blame your staff, you take responsibility for the actions of your office, that is what ministerial accountability means," he said.
"She should resign and she should resign immediately and if the Minister won't resign, then the Prime Minister should sack her because this is not a standard any prime minister should accept in their cabinet."
Senator di Natale renewed his calls for a national anti-corruption watchdog.
He argued if a national anti-corruption body existed, Senator Cash could be called before it.
Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin clarified the number of police involved in the two raids on Tuesday.
He said a total of 13 police were involved, eight in Melbourne and five in Sydney.
No comments:
Post a Comment