Scott Morrison faces further questions over explosive allegations he warned Liberal Party members about his competitor’s Lebanese background when the two men were vying for preselection in 2007.
The Prime Minister on Saturday flatly denied media reports detailing allegations about a bitter fight against Michael Towke to secure the Liberal party’s endorsement to be the candidate for Cook.
Mr Morrison was ultimately successful in his bid for preselection and he has held the safe Liberal seat since the 2007 federal election.
The Nine newspapers and the Saturday Paper published details from statutory declarations, signed in 2016, that claimed Mr Morrison told party members it would be risky to select Mr Towke because of his background and because of rumours he was a “Moslem”.
Mr Towke, who authored one of those statutory declarations, went public after Mr Morrison denied the allegations, telling the Sun Herald and Sunday Age he stood by the declarations he had asserted.
“Amongst many unedifying tactics used to unseat me xjmtzywfrom my preselection victory for Morrison, racial vilification was front and centre and he was directly involved,” he told the newspapers in a statement.
“Racism is divisive, creating hate and hurt, and should have no place in Australian society.”
The 15-year-old controversy over Mr Morrison’s preselection was re-stoked by incendiary claims outgoing veteran Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells made in Parliament on Tuesday.
Senator Fierravanti-Wells attacked Mr Morrison, calling him an “autocrat” and a “bully” and claiming he had interfered in the Cook preselection contest after he decisively lost the initial preselection ballot to Mr Towke.
“Morrison might profess to be Christian, but there was nothing Christian about what was done to Michael Towke,” she told the Senate.
“I am advised that there are several statutory declarations to attest to racial comments made by Morrison at the time that we can’t have a Lebanese person in Cook.”
Senator Fierravanti-Wells has been relegated to an unwinnable spot on the NSW Liberal Party senate ticket after her own contested preselection battle.
Mr Morrison’s office has been contacted for further comment.
