Scott Morrison responds to being labelled a ‘buffoon’ for his criticism of the NSW ICAC

Scott Morrison has doubled down on his claims about NSW’s anti-corruption watchdog despite being labelled a ‘buffoon’.

Scott Morrison has refused to back down from his criticism of NSW’s anti-corruption watchdog, despite being referred to as a “buffoon” by its outgoing commissioner.

While the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Stephen Rushton did not directly name the Prime Minister, he lashed out at people characterising his agency as a kangaroo court.

Mr Morrison doubled down on his claims when he was quizzed by reporters on Wednesday.

“I stand by what I’ve said about why I don’t think that model is a good model for the federal jurisdiction,” he said.

“He can say whatever he likes. I’m not easily offended. He’s free to disagree with me if he wishes. I just don’t think that their model is the right model at a federal level.”

Scott Morrison has stood by his attacks on the NSW ICAC. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Rushton warned the “buffoons” making “uninformed” criticism of ICAC had a real capacity to undermine the work of the commission and public confidence governments.

“It is deeply offensive to the hardworking staff of the commission, it undermines the institution,” Mr Rushton told a state parliamentary inquiry on Monday.

“There vast differences between the functions of the commission and a court … To describe us as a kangaroo court is not just misleading, but untrue.”

Coalition MPs have repeatedly attacked the NSW ICAC even as government integrity emerges as a major election issue amid calls for a strong federal anti-corruption agency.

The Morrison government failed to introduce legislation for a Commonwealth Integrity Commission despite promising before the last federal election in 2019 that it would be one of its “priority reforms”.

Mr Morrison has referred to the NSW ICAC as a kangaroo court on numerous occasions and called its treatment of former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian “shameful”.

Ms Berejiklian resigned from the top job last year after the watchdog announced it was investigating her.

Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian resigned after ICAC announced it was investigating her. Picture: Toby Zerna

Her successor Dominic Perrottet on Tuesday threw his support behind ICAC, saying Mr Morrison “absolutely went too far” in describing it as a kangaroo court.

Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg earlier on Wednesday backed away from Mr Morrison’s sledge.

“I would use different words,” the Treasurer told the ABC.

Mr Frydenberg reiterated the Coalition’s main grievance with the NSW ICAC, saying it had “Produced results where good people have left office without convictions being made and without huge amounts of evidence”.

Mr Morrison last month indicated he intended to scrap his plans for a federal anti-corruption commission, blaming Labor for not supporting the government’s proposed model.

The watchdog proposed by the Coalition was lambasted by former judges and legal experts who variously described it as a “feather duster” and a “sham” and said it would have insufficient powers.

Originally published as Scott Morrison responds to being labelled a ‘buffoon’ for his criticism of the NSW ICAC