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

My question is to the Prime Minister. During the election campaign, on May 4 2019, the Prime Minister said about rape: 'One of the things that often happens with that is they're not believed and their stories are not believed. It's important that their stories are believed and that they know if they come forward their stories will be believed.' Why then did the Prime Minister decide a written complaint sent directly to him wasn't true, without even reading it?

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

As I said to the House yesterday, I was very familiar with the contents of those documents. I was briefed on them by none less than the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, before they were even received in my office. I asked the commissioner of the police whether it would be appropriate for me to raise those matters directly with the Attorney-General. He said yes, and I did so immediately. These are, ultimately, matters that have to be determined by police and prosecutors at the end of the day.

I stand by the comments I said on that occasion. It is important that the earnestness in which these matters are brought forward by individuals is believed so that the matters can be taken forward to the police. The ultimate truth and veracity of a matter, and whether it can be taken forward, is a matter for the police. That was certainly the case in relation to the member for Maribyrnong. The police undertook their inquiries. They concluded the matter. I understand a brief of evidence may have been prepared and was forwarded to the prosecutors in Victoria. They decided not to proceed with the case. That is our justice system. We act in accordance with the justice system and the rule of law. In relation to the allegations against the Attorney-General, the police have concluded the matter, in the same way that the matter was concluded with the member for Maribyrnong.

This may be inconvenient to the member for Sydney, who thinks it's okay to apply one rule to a Labor member but a different rule to a member of the government. I note that this is true also for the member for Boothby. The member for Boothby was the victim of an outrageous campaign mounted by Labor, GetUp and the unions at the last election. I did not hear the member for Sydney decry the disgraceful treatment of the member for Boothby. I did not hear Senator Wong decry the misogynous and disgraceful attacks from the members of the Labor Party, where the member for Boothby feared for her own safety. When it comes to claims of this matter, the Labor Party have very selective hearing. By contrast, when confronted with a very similar situation, our government, myself and former Prime Minister Abbott took the principled view that the rule of law applies equally to every single Australian.