Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm Senator Cash will be fighting the Federal Court's order to give evidence over her and her office's involvement in leaking information about an AFP raid? Why is the minister refusing to give evidence under oath? Why is it that the minister will say it to a media conference, or even to the parliament, but not under oath?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The AWU, supported by the honourable member, is doing everything it can to stop the Registered Organisations Commission from finding out whether the Leader of the Opposition paid $100,000 of AWU members' money to GetUp! without authorisation. That's what it's about. So the issue is this.

Ms Butler interjecting—

Ms Chesters interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members for Griffith and Bendigo are warned!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member opposite is one of Her Majesty's counsel, learned in the law, and no doubt believes in the rule of law—

Government members interjecting—

No, he is! He is. He's a QC—he is. But he's a lawyer. As another great lawyer said, anyone can go to jail if they get the right lawyer! It's important to have the right one.

But the member for Isaacs knows very well that it would be a very, very serious matter if a union paid $100,000 of its members' funds to GetUp! without authorisation. Imagine if—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat.

Opposition members interjecting—

Members on my left! The member for McMahon, the Manager of Opposition Business?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on direct relevance, Mr Speaker: the Prime Minister has failed to refer to the person who is the subject of the question. The person who has been subpoenaed is Senator Cash.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Manager of Opposition Business for his question, but the Prime Minister is referring to the policy substance of the question. I'll keep listening carefully.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker—

Mr Bowen interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for McMahon is warned!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash is not a party to the proceedings. The suspected wrongdoing that is being investigated is the payment of $100,000 by the Leader of the Opposition to GetUp! If he did that with authority, all we need to see is the minutes of the executive committee meeting approving it, with an affidavit from the secretary saying it's a true and correct record—very simple. That's all that the Leader of the Opposition needs to provide. And, armed with such a great legal adviser as the member for Isaacs, the Leader of the Opposition would know this! So a reasonable person, observing the failure of the Leader of the Opposition to prove the payment was authorised and the determination of the union to stop the payment being investigated, could only assume—

Mr Hill interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bruce is warned!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

that the payment was not authorised. And that's the cover up, that's the wrong, that's the shameful act that the Labor Party and the member for Isaacs are trying to cover up and obfuscate.