Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's a protection racket that this government is running! And they're running it for themselves and their mates.

This Prime Minister's response to the scandals of his energy minister, Angus Taylor, is just the latest example of a leader with no integrity. By now, we're all aware of the course of events that have led us to this point. Angus Taylor, the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, issued from his office a doctored document with false travel expenditure figures—which also, miraculously, appeared on the front page of The Daily Telegraphin order to discredit a political opponent, in this case, of course, the Lord Mayor of Sydney. His accusations in a letter to Clover Moore were that the City of Sydney council had racked up an incredible $15.9 million on travel in a single year. Of course, the real figure was less than $6,000. The minister is still insisting that this document was downloaded from the City of Sydney website—unbelievable!—despite all the evidence that shows that the travel expenditure figures he has cited are wrong and that no such document with these doctored figures ever existed on the website of the City of Sydney council.

Instead of providing a full and frank explanation to this parliament and to the Australian people, the minister has yet to explain how his office came into possession of these doctored travel figures. We have come to expect slippery statements from the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, but what is more alarming is the Prime Minister's response. Has he demanded that his minister explain himself fully and frankly to the parliament and the Australian people? No, he hasn't. And when it became clear that the New South Wales police were investigating the alleged use of fraudulent documents by one of his ministers, did this Prime Minister insist that his minister stand aside while the investigation was taking place? No, he didn't.

Instead of acting with integrity, this Prime Minister is acting like Donald Trump. This is a full-Trump moment from the Prime Minister. Scott Morrison made the Trumpian call to the New South Wales police commissioner. This is a Prime Minister who openly proclaims himself to be a friend of the police commissioner and was a former neighbour of his in the shire. I can say this: I came from the shire. In actual fact, I've had a few beers in a few of those hotels. Let's try the pub test. Down at Northies at Cronulla: how many people down at Cronulla would say that what the Prime Minister has done is right? How many people at Caringbah Inn would say that? Let's try another pub test: Taren Point Hotel and Miranda Hotel. It doesn't pass the pub test. He sees fit to use his personal position to ring and get the details of an investigation. That is inappropriate. That requires answers and requires documents to be produced. This is a call that, if the Prime Minister had integrity, would have been made by a non-political official such as the Secretary of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. That would seem to be absolutely logical. In fact, I have talked to many on the other side, and they are amazed that they did not use and appropriately have somebody appropriate steps away from the Prime Minister, from elected officials.