Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I am not surprised the member for McEwen would answer the call if I used that phrase. I'm sure he'd be very quick to hear his name called. But, on the very broad question put to me by the shadow Treasurer, it gives me the opportunity to refer to some of the things that the shadow Treasurer has said in recent days, rather than raising questions about the economy and going on with all his nonsense, because the only way he does his economic research is reading the newspaper and looking at fictitious reports.

Let me remind you what he said to Leigh Sales the other day about someone he described as a patriotic and loyal Australian, his good friend Senator Sam Dastyari. He said to Leigh Sales: 'Let me make this clear. Sam Dastyari is a patriotic and loyal Australian. Assertions to the contrary I reject. He made mistakes. I suspect there's nobody in Australia who couldn't have made a mistake at some point in their career'—that's certainly true of the shadow Treasurer—'and he paid a substantial price. He'll be paying the price for some time.'

If he's got to pay a price for anything, we know where he'll get the money from, shadow Treasurer. He'll go to his mates and borrow it or be given it by some foreign influence. This is the shadow Treasurer's best mate, the person he is putting his own credibility on the line for—he has gone to the mattresses for Senator Sam Dastyari. So, if he speaks in this way about Senator Dastyari we can only assume he is in complete truck with Senator Dastyari. This is not someone who can be trusted with the Treasury of this nation. He is so quick to stand up for Senator Sam Dastyari, a man who cheated on his country, a man who disgraced the Labor Party, a man who, last time he was caught out on this, was given the equivalent of a speeding fine or the suspension of his library privileges, and apparently this was some great price that was paid. If that's what the shadow Treasurer thinks, then he is totally signed up to the Craig Thomson defence for Sam Dastyari. The shadow Treasurer should be ashamed of himself for supporting such a shameful figure.

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