Prime Minister Scott Morrison claims he has never told a lie in public life

The PM has spoken out over the claims he is a liar and insisted the accusations were being fuelled by political point scoring.

Harris will hold four days of meetings in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders, delivering remarks at a peace forum and taking part in a multilateral conference on Libya. Picture: AFP

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has insisted he has never told a lie in public life.

He told Melbourne’s 3AW on Friday morning “I don’t believe I have, no. No” when asked by host Neil Mitchell if he had ever told lies.

Both former PM Malcolm Turnbull and French President Emmanuel Macron have accused Mr Morrison of telling lies - making his trustworthiness a potential federal electon issue.

“That’s politics, people take sledges at me all the time,” Mr Morrison said.

“I have learned in public life over a long period of time to not have a thin skin. To not get bitter, to stay focused on the job.

“You’ll get slings and arrows from everywhere... if you haven’t got the thick skin to deal with that then you’re in the wrong job. I tend not to take things personally,” he told 3AW.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says claims he is a liar is just being driven by political point scoring. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray

The Prime Minister said he was not concerned with being branded a liar by one of the most powerful figures in world politics, because he was making decisions in Australia’s interests and wasn’t “intimidated” that it would upset the French.

It comes as US Vice President Kamala Harris touched down in Paris this week on a mission to restore ties with France strained by a cancelled submarines contract with Australia in favour of the AUKUS deal.

During her four-day visit – her third overseas trip in office – Harris will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron for a one-on-one sit down on Wednesday and attend a peace forum with other world leaders.

She will also participate in a conference on Libya and join commemorations for the anniversary of the end of World War I.

US Vice President Kamala Harris and First Gentleman Douglas Emhoff disembark from Air Force Two at the Orly Airport, near Paris. Picture: AFP.

Her trip comes after the Australia walked out of a multibillion-dollar submarines deal with Paris in September, blindsiding France with the announcement it would instead join a new strategic alliance between the US, Australia and Britain, known as AUKUS.

“It is good to be in France and I am looking forward to many, many days of productive discussions reinforcing the strength of our relationship,” Harris said as she arrived for the visit.

The visit was announced after the subs row, and comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken was dispatched in early October in a first attempt to fix the crisis.

President Joe Biden also sought to make amends over the dispute at a meeting with Macron last month, telling the French leader that his government had been “clumsy” in the way it secured the submarines deal with Australia.

Harris will hold four days of meetings in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders, delivering remarks at a peace forum and taking part in a multilateral conference on Libya. Picture: AFP

‘REALLY CRITICAL’

It was the clearest sign of contrition from the US since the start of the row that saw France recall its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra.

Paris was furious after the scrapping of the $60 billion pact struck by a French defence contractor to sell diesel-powered submarines to Australia.

Harris, who will meet Macron on Wednesday, is expected to confirm Biden’s overtures, including with discussions about possible US support for France’s military mission against jihadists in the Sahel, and for plans to beef-up European defence capabilities.

“The relationship between the United States and France – and also the transatlantic relationship between the US and Europe – is really critical for us,” a senior White House official said ahead of the trip.

“This is something that candidate Biden stressed throughout the campaign.” Another official said Harris’s speech at Thursday’s Paris Peace Forum, which focuses this year on Covid recovery, would address “big, converging global crises”.

She will also attend a special session at the Forum dedicated to the regulatory framework for internet companies, French officials added.

On Thursday’s World War I Armistice Day, Harris is to visit the Suresnes American Cemetery on the capital’s outskirts, they said.

Before returning to Washington, Harris will take part Friday in the Paris Conference on Libya, a diplomatic push to promote peaceful elections that could stem the numbers of migrants fleeing the conflict-hit country for Europe.

“We want to build a stable and prosperous Libya free from foreign interference and capable of combating terrorism within its borders,” the official said.

The vice president has come under fire over her performance as the administration’s point person on America’s own migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border, which critics say has worsened since Biden came into office.