Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister, and I refer to his answers yesterday. How can the Prime Minister claim he did not know about alleged misconduct towards women and girls by the office member of the member for Hughes when there were court proceedings in July last year; there was a report in The Daily Telegraph on 8 July last year; media inquiries were made to the Prime Minister's office on 3, 4 and 5 August last year; and multiple reports appeared in the Prime Minister's local paper, the St George Shire Standard, last year?

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

I would invite the member to re-look at the transcript of the answer I gave yesterday. What I can say is that it is indeed true that on 3, 4 and 5 August an inquiry was made to my office about a matter that had been raised and dealt with in the Sutherland local court on 8 July of last year. That is correct, and that is a matter of public record. I haven't disputed that; I haven't disputed that that is a matter of public record. I said I would come back to the House and apply further on those issues on those dates. That is what I said yesterday and that is my understanding.

What I can tell that House is that, following that issue, this matter was raised by my office, both informally and directly, in relation to the employment of the person who is at the centre of this, Mr Frank Zumbo, with the member for Hughes.