Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Shortly before question time yesterday, New South Wales police issued a statement announcing that detectives had launched Strike Force Garrad. 'As investigations are ongoing, no further information is available'—that's what they said. Why did the Prime Minister disregard that statement and call the New South Wales police commissioner to ask for further information?

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

Yesterday I informed the House on four separate occasions that I would be contacting and speaking with the New South Wales Police Force regarding the matters raised for the first time in question time by the Leader of the Opposition. The purpose of my call was to fulfil my undertaking to the House and to discharge my responsibility under the Statement of Ministerial Standards to inform myself of the nature, substance and instigation of the investigation underway.

I do not intend to base serious assessments of my duties under the Statement of Ministerial Standards on media reports or comments made by the Labor Party. The commissioner considered it appropriate to inform me on the nature, substance and instigation of the investigation, and was also advised of my subsequent statement to the House. I advised the House that this was my intention in order to satisfy my responsibilities, and after question time I returned to the House and informed the House of those actions. I table the statement.