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

My question is again to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's previous answer. Did the Prime Minister ever raise concerns about the member for Hughes's office manager's dealings with girls and women directly with the member for Hughes? If so, when did he first do that?

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

I can confirm that my office conveyed to—

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting—

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

I've been going for five seconds.

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

The Prime Minister is five seconds in. The Prime Minister has the call.

Opposition members interjecting—

Members on my left will cease interjecting. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I can confirm that, on the matters that I was just asked about in the previous question, which relates to the question the member has just asked, on 8 July Frank Zumbo appeared at the Sutherland local court. That was followed up by a request to my office about these matters. These were matters of public record. These were matters that were known. As you would appreciate, Mr Speaker, that was the time of the second wave of the COVID pandemic in Australia. I'm just outlining the events at the time. These matters were understood by my office, and my office raised these matters both informally and, subsequently, directly with the member for Hughes.

It has long been my view that Frank Zumbo shouldn't be employed in the member for Hughes's office. He has known that. That has gone over a very long period of time. Our electorates adjoin each other. He has known that has been my view for many years, based on our own conversations. This is a matter that has been ongoing for a very long time and that relates to a whole series of matters—most recently, another matter which I raised with him only very recently.