Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

(1) notes the:

  (a) Prime Minister's statement in the House on Monday this week that "Whether they're politicians, journalists, public officials, anyone—there is no-one in this country who is above the law";

  (b) reported provision of a forged document to The Daily Telegraph by the Minister for Emissions Reduction in an attempt to influence the public duty of the Lord Mayor of Sydney;

  (c) creation and/or knowing use of a forged document in an attempt to influence a public duty is a serious indictable offence under New South Wales law punishable by up to 10 years in prison;

  (d) failure to report knowledge of a serious indictable offence is also an offence under New South Wales law punishable by up to two years in prison;

  (e) Minister for Emissions Reduction has failed to explain his role in, or knowledge of, the creation and/or use of a forged document used in an attempt to influence the public duty of the Lord Mayor of Sydney; and

  (f) Minister has refused to give straight answers to simple questions about these crimes, as if the public has no right to know; and

(2) having regard to the foregoing, calls on the Prime Minister to ask the New South Wales Police to investigate whether the Minister for Emissions Reduction has committed a crime.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Manager of Opposition Business moving the following motion immediately:

That the House:

(1) notes the:

  (a) Prime Minister's statement in the House on Monday this week that "Whether they're politicians, journalists, public officials, anyone—there is no-one in this country who is above the law";

  (b) reported provision of a forged document to The Daily Telegraph by the Minister for Emissions Reduction in an attempt to influence the public duty of the Lord Mayor of Sydney;

  (c) creation and/or knowing use of a forged document in an attempt to influence a public duty is a serious indictable offence under New South Wales law punishable by up to 10 years in prison;

  (d) failure to report knowledge of a serious indictable offence is also an offence under New South Wales law punishable by up to two years in prison;

  (e) Minister for Emissions Reduction has failed to explain his role in, or knowledge of, the creation and/or use of a forged document used in an attempt to influence the public duty of the Lord Mayor of Sydney; and

  (f) Minister has refused to give straight answers to simple questions about these crimes, as if the public has no right to know; and

(2) having regard to the foregoing, calls on the Prime Minister to ask the New South Wales Police to investigate whether the Minister for Emissions Reduction has committed a crime.

We need to know whether the forgery was 'Taylor' made, because it looks exactly like that—