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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the former Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, right to say it is, to quote him, 'inconceivable' that a Prime Minister's office would not be told about a reported rape 50 metres from his office?

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

Mr Turnbull, of course, is entitled to his opinion on these matters, and I at all times seek to show great respect to former prime ministers and I'll do so again here today. But former prime ministers would know that prime ministers are aware of certain facts of these matters. The facts in these matters demonstrate, as they have been reported to me, that Brittany had made a decision that she did not wish to make a statement and register a complaint with the police, and that Minister Reynolds and others respected that decision, and, as a result of respecting that decision and her agency in this matter, then, as a result, that matter progressed no further—and, clearly, did not progress further for quite a considerable period of time, until most recently, when Brittany made the statements that she has made. And we have responded to those statements now. As we've said in this place on many occasions in these last few days, it is shattering, and we need to address it, and we indeed shall.