Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Dr Charlton states:

On Wednesday 17 June I attended the Press Gallery’s Mid Winter Ball. I was seated at a table adjacent to the table at which Malcolm Turnbull was seated, and our seats were close together.

During the main course Malcolm Turnbull turned around to initiate a conversation with the person seated beside me.

He then turned his seat in my direction and initiated the following conversation:

Turnbull:                Hello. You are Andrew Charlton.

Charlton:                Hello.

Turnbull:                You are friends with [he then mentioned the name of a person known to us both].

Charlton:                Yes, I know [I mentioned that person’s name].

Turnbull:                Let me give you some advice because I think you have a very promising career ahead of you.

Integrity is the most important thing in the career of a young man.

[A short conversation ensued on a different subject related to our mutual acquaintance … ]

Turnbull:                Andrew, integrity is the most important thing in a man’s career.

That is why I encourage you, no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the pressure, not to lie.

Charlton:                Thank you for the advice. I don’t feel any pressure to lie.

Turnbull:                This whole Ozcar issue will be very damaging for you.

Let me just give you some friendly advice.

You should not lie to protect your boss.

Charlton:                I have not.

Turnbull:                You know and I know there is documentary evidence that you have lied.

Charlton:                There is not.

Turnbull:                Andrew, you know that there is documentary evidence. This could be very damaging for you.

Charlton:                I have not had any contact with Mr Grant.

Turnbull:                Ah well, I advise you to consider your actions very carefully.

At the conclusion of the conversation, Dr Charlton went outside and reported this conversation to a fellow member of staff.

On this note, I note that the Leader of the Opposition, this time using Glenn Milne of News Ltd, has briefed out the following today:

MALCOLM Turnbull has told close colleagues the prime ministerial adviser at the centre of the ute affair admitted to him he was troubled and had not been able to sleep.

According to colleagues briefed on the Opposition Leader’s version of his conversation with Andrew Charlton at last week’s press gallery Midwinter Ball, it was Charlton—not Turnbull—who raised his own role.

The two men were seated next to each other … After talking about a mutual friend, Turnbull says he gave the generic career advice as “one old man to one young man; always tell the truth”.

According to Turnbull’s version of events it was Charlton who admitted to worrying about the advice he had given Kevin Rudd.

Charlton was—

according to Glenn Milne, briefed by the Leader of the Opposition—

“clearly anxious and stressed” but concluded he had given the Prime Minister the correct advice on OzCar.

What a tangled web they weave. I note for the record that Dr Charlton’s signed file note on this was released last Friday morning, and it has not been until the implosion of the integrity of the email that the Leader of the Opposition has chosen a journalist of choice to brief out a different version of events who once again places much distance between himself and the false email saga.

I also note that in the Leader of the Opposition’s briefed out version, through Mr Milne today, he says ‘it was Charlton—not Turnbull—who raised’ this. Once again, a tangled web, because neither he nor, it seems, Mr Milne, bothered to consult the report last Friday in the Daily Telegraph by Malcolm Farr, who wrote:

MALCOLM Turnbull, wife Lucy next to him, asked his dining companions on table 27 at the Press Gallery Mid-Winter Ball if anyone knew where Andrew Charlton was placed.

           …         …         …

Back on VIP table 27, which had a tall centrepiece … as did the Rudd’s table 26 across the aisle, lists were consulted to answer Mr Turnbull’s inquiry.

… Mr Turnbull turned to talk to him …

That is the account of Malcolm Farr from the Daily Telegraph, sitting at an adjacent table. In other words, there is a third party witness, from the Press Gallery himself, saying that the Leader of the Opposition turned to speak to Dr Charlton—not the reverse. A desperate Leader of the Opposition sought to brief out a contrary version of events through Mr Milne in today’s paper.

We then add the saga of Senator Abetz, and then we have three separate reports—(Time expired)

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