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

I refer to my previous statements, because I've made pretty clear the assessment that I've made and the conversation that I have had with the police commissioner on this matter reported to this House in what I've said here today.

What I find interesting about the Leader of the Opposition's line of inquiry—he has made reference to my earlier statements and that, of course, brings in the matter of the earlier questions that the Leader of the Opposition has raised on these matters. The Leader of the Opposition is seeking to prosecute a case here that says that if media have reported that a matter is under investigation by a law enforcement body then the standard should be that that person should stand aside. That's what the Leader of the Opposition is prosecuting in this case.

If that's the case, why is it that former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and I refer to March 2013—Ross Mitchell, a detective in Victoria Police's fraud squad, stated that Prime Minister Julia Gillard was under investigation over her role in the creation of an AWU slush fund. He said: 'Let me make this perfectly clear. The Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, is under investigation by police. This is fact.'

Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting—

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