There’s been another leak from the Coalition, with details of an inquiry into former education and youth minister Alan Tudge’s relationship with former staffer Rachelle Miller shared with the media.
Details of the report, divulged to Network 10’s political editor Peter van Onselen, reportedly recommended Tudge be sacked — not because of allegations raised by Miller that Tudge was “emotionally abusive and on one occasion physically abusive” but because he sought to promote Miller from media adviser to senior adviser while in an undisclosed relationship.
Tudge denies the relationship was abusive and stood aside in December when the inquiry was announced.
There’s also a growing backlash against backgrounding women who have been vocal in their complaints about parliamentary members.
‘Pathological’ backgrounding
Vivienne Thom’s report into Tudge has been the centre of attention at Senate estimates this week. It was revealed on Monday that the report was “hand delivered” to Prime Minister Scott Morrison on January 28 due to its sensitive nature, but no action has been taken.
Deputy secretary in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Stephanie Foster said she intended to release the report, but didn’t provide a time frame.
Labor Senator Katy Gallagher asked Finance Minister Simon Birmingham about the leak yesterday, asking how a document “so sensitive” it had to be hand delivered could make its way into the media.
“[The government] is dysfunctional. You’re having leak after leak,” she said.
“There’s been backgrounding around Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins and now Rachelle Miller … There’s a history of pathological backgrounding around women who make complaints about men in this building.”
Birmingham said he hadn’t seen the report and refused to say whether Tudge would be sacked. The government refused to tell Miller whether she would receive a complete copy of the report.
The fact that Miller still hasn’t seen the report relating directly to her relationship and her allegations — and has no idea whether she ever will — while details of it are being leaked to journalists is galling. Gallagher called for Miller to be provided with a copy of the report before the Channel 10 segment aired.
Miller declined to participate in the inquiry, saying the government had not listened to her concerns, wouldn’t negotiate the terms of reference, and wouldn’t investigate specific allegations.
“The sanitisation of the inquiry … all but guarantees the government the positive view of history … which suits its agenda, its view of the world and its immediate positive interests,” she said in a statement. “It smacks of a political fix.”
The report cost $80,000 to produce.
Inquiries could backfire
Birmingham also faced questions earlier this week about leaked text messages between Morrison and French President Emmanuel Macron; Gallagher said “either the prime minister took the extraordinary step to leak a text message with another world leader or more concerningly the PM’s phone was hacked”.
No investigation into the leak will be conducted.
Then there was the leak into a cabinet meeting last week over the religious discrimination bill; leaks into text messages from Barnaby Joyce to Higgins saying Joyce didn’t trust the PM; more leaked texts from an unnamed Liberal MP to former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian allegedly calling Morrison a “psycho”; leaks of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) legislation; a leak of a private address to 400 staffers last year… The list goes on.
Meanwhile, the prime minister’s office allegedly backgrounded journalists against Higgins’ partner David Sharaz (though the internal report cleared staff) and against former Liberal MP Julia Banks.
The PMO also frequently calls people it believes is damaging the PM’s reputation, ranging from writer and executive director of not-for-profit the Parenthood Georgie Dent following criticisms of the 2020 budget, to gender equality and youth advocate Yasmin Poole, who was forced to write an apology after the PM used a visit with advocates for good press, to journalist Neil McMahon over recaps of Q+A.
Of course, we don’t know whether the recent leaks were orchestrated or even whether some came from the Coalition. But what we do know is the government doesn’t want to investigate them — avoiding opening up a can of worms regarding the constant drops from within cabinet.
It seems the government can dish it out, but can’t take it.
I am happy to once again, ‘nail my colors to the mast’.
I will be voting in the usual manner again this time around. That is, Liberal and National Party LAST on both ballot papers. In keeping with my dad’s approach, I will be voting absentee at the first opportunity because, at 74 years of age I simply cannot risk waiting a moment longer than necessary in case I should suffer a heart attack or drop dead of some other cause before election day. (Dad used to cast his vote for the ALP early on Saturday mornings in his day for this reason. There was no absentee voting then.)
We must get rid of Morrison and his despicable bunch of cohorts this time around!!
If only we can convince the majority.
I know Kookapie! But it is the same every time.
I believe the majority are already there.
They just have to hold their resolve during the next five months of carpet bombing by Murdoch, Nine, and Stokes.
It has already started. The shamelessly coordinated assertion of a Chinese link in the ALP armor is typical of what is to come.
Dutton starts the attack with unsubstantiated fertilizer, Morrison follows up with ‘Chicken Little’ style hubris.
No doubt Murdoch will run a series of articles on anything the LNP brains trust (That’s Morrison, Dutton, Freidenburg, and Joyce) can muster.
Is ScoMo giving Tudge a nudge?
Right now it’s rather hard to judge,
but dumping colleagues hasn’t been
a situation that we’ve seen
too often with this government,
for there are quite a few who’ve spent
some time exuding so much crap
they should have worn a dunce’s cap
and been expelled for telling lies,
a trait in which they specialise
to cover up incompetence
and dodgy rorts at our expense.
And now we’re seeing all these leaks,
a breach of trust that clearly freaks
them out because it surely means
that someone’s spilling all the beans
to compromise the PM who
has made an enemy or two
along the way with dirty tricks,
for that’s how he plays politics,
but retribution’s plainly here
to try and make him disappear,
which, while it makes him paranoid,
leaves us enjoying schadenfreude.
Gazza, you wizard – have you asked Laura Tingle to read one to us on 7.30?
Well said.
With all emphasis from the Federal government and the PMO on messaging and messagers, there must be precious little time for actual government. (Which seems to have been verified by reality, by the way.)
And large amounts of taxpayer money are provided to run the Federal government for precisely what taxpayer benefit???
“The ‘Tudge’ Report cost $80,000 to produce.”
EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS . . . and unavailable to be read.
Hand delivered to PM (so Australia Post didn’t score) on 28th January.
NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN.
PS Truly, as a long term taxpayer am bloody glad will not be too long around to have to help reduce alleged TRILLION $$$ dollars national debt already accrued by this Morrison Govt.
Report must have been written by Morrison’s Mr Fix It, Phil Gaetjens, who never seems to find any wrongdoing in his reports.
Birmingham’s certainly grown into his job – once upon a time he’d look embarrassed having to prevaricate, stall and BS.
Had to chuckle at that one.
Yet Sen.Wong has state the she regards him as “…a friend and someone I can work with…” – NFI.
The elephants form a conga-line – it’s us mice have to step around where they tread.