Parliament erupted into shouting during the final Question Time before the election as the opposition grilled the Prime Minister over taxpayer-funded legal fees used to solve a “factional fight” in the Liberal Party.
Scott Morrison was asked four times about the solicitor-general being used in a High Court case that revolves around a Liberal Party preselection standoff.
The solicitor-general is the country’s second highest-ranking law officer, after the Attorney-General,xjmtzyw and is employed to give the government legal advice.
It represents the government in the High Court for important issues such as constitutional law, extradition, migration and native title.
Mr Morrison has been taken to court by NSW Liberal state executive member Matthew Camenzuli.
Mr Camenzuli is challenging the Prime Minister’s extraordinary move of temporarily taking control of the NSW Liberal Party so three sitting MPs could be installed as election candidates.
Mr Morrison did this because infighting had paralysed preselections in these seats and several other winnable ones.
But the Prime Minister’s lawyers this week applied for the High Court to urgently hear the matter instead of the NSW Court of Appeal, where it is scheduled for Friday, arguing there was a constitutional question over whether courts had power to make rulings on internal party matters.
But it was ultimtely unsuccessful with High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefal on Thursday sending the proceedings back to the NSW Court of Appeal.
The Opposition seized on the messy preselection situation during a fiery Question Time shortly after her decision.
Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus asked the Prime Minister: “Why are taxpayers paying for the Commonwealth’s most senior lawyer, the solicitor-general, to go to the High Court to intervene in an internal NSW Liberal Party dispute?”
Minister Paul Fletcher rose to answer: “As the House would be aware, there’s well established protocols under which Commonwealth representation in matters of this kind occurs. These decisions have been taken in accordance with those protocols.”
But the interrogation continued.
“How on Earth is it appropriate for the government’s most senior legal adviser, the solicitor-general, to appear in an internal dispute within the NSW branch of the Liberal Party,” Labor’s Mark Butler asked.
Again Mr Fletcher referred to his earlier answer.
Later, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese also quizzed the Prime Minister over the use of taxpayer funds for the legal fight.
“The government has admitted using taxpayer money to fund a factional fight in the Liberal Party and used a pretence that there are constitutional issues behind this intervention. Isn’t the only way to end the rorts, the waste and corruption to end this government?” he asked.
Leader of the House Peter Dutton then tried to argue that the question was out of order as shouts of “you’re a disgrace” and “this absolutely stinks” could be heard in the chamber and parliament erupted.
Mr Morrison ended up answering the question by launching an attack on Mr Albanese, as shouts could be heard again.
“I’m very used to the Leader of the Opposition thinking sledging the government is an alternative for an economic plan,” he said.
“What he thinks is that he can breeze into government. He can breeze into government without being upfront with the Australian people about what he would put in a budget.”
