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

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister, and I refer to his previous answers. When did the Prime Minister tell this House during question time yesterday that he intended to call the police commissioner and ask him about the substance of the criminal investigation, after the police had said in a written statement that no further information was available?

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

At 2.14, I said:

This is a very recent matter, I said, and I'll be happy to take advice from the New South Wales police in relation to any matters they're pursuing.

I then said, in answer to the same question:

I will be taking advice from the New South Wales police on any matter that they are currently looking at, and I will form a view, based on taking that advice, in considering these issues.

At 14:23, I said:

What I will do is what I said in response to the last question: I will speak directly to the New South Wales Police Force and understand the nature of what these reports are, and then I will make the necessary assessments of that case at that time.

And at 14:28, I said:

I'm going to leave the matters of pursuing these issues to the New South Wales Police. I will speak directly to the New South Wales Police—

I said, directly' Mr Speaker—

I will consider the information they provide me about this matter and I will exercise my responsibilities under the standards once I have had the opportunity to have those discussions.

I made it very clear that I was speaking to the police about these matters. I said I would; no objection was raised by those opposite. They have sought on the next day to trump up something else. What we have done is acted as we said we would here in this House. As Prime Minister, I undertook that call, I came back into the House and I reported that to the House.