Journalist Leigh Sales grills Prime Minister in fiery ABC interview

Veteran journalist Leigh Sales has unleashed on Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a fiery interview, grilling him on several tough issues.

Veteran journalist Leigh Sales has grilled Prime Minister Scott Morrison on a range of issues in a fiery interview on ABC on Tuesday night.

The 7.30 host didn’t hold back when questioning Mr Morrison on the country’s economy, emissions targets and the sports grants saga.

Sales kicked off the interview quizzing the PM on how he is managing the economy.

“How is it possible that you don’t have an economic centrepiece beyond a slogan for jobs and growth?,” she asked him

“Well, I completely reject that,” Mr Morrison replied.

Sales responded: “Let me run through some of it with you...You have done nothing on IR or superannuation, nothing on GST reform, nothing big on company tax reform, no target for emissions reduction beyond 2030, business leaders feel there is no agenda.”

Sales then went on to grill Mr Morrison on emissions reductions- which is when things became more heated.

She told him a plan without a target is meaningless because you don’t know where you are going.

“That is the whole point about the technology plan, it is looking at future technologies,” he responded before she quickly shot back, “How can you look at future technologies because they are not invented yet.”

Sales didn’t stop there - she then went on to tackle the sports grants scandal in which the government is accused of ignoring recommendations and doling out $100 million in funding to projects in electorates it needed to win at the last election.

The pair kept interjecting and talking over each other, as Sales told Mr Morrison Australians had a trust issue with him because of his ongoing secrecy.

She said people’s trust in him and his credibility were his most important assets.

Leigh Sales interviews Scott Morrison. Picture: ABC

“Back to the trust question. You want Australians to trust you. Does this excessive secrecy help that?,” she asked.

“I don’t accept the assertion you are putting to me. You are making accusations... Like the Labor Party does,” he told her.

“I just gave three examples. I just gave three concrete examples,” Sales insisted.

“If you want to join in on the accusations that the Labor leader makes in parliament every day,” Mr Morrison said.

“I am not interested in what the Labor leader has to say,” Sales shot back.

“There is an uncanny resemblance between the allegations.”

Sales’ examples were the sports grants scandal, when his office tried to hide the fact he was on holiday in Hawaii in December, and whether Hillsong pastor Brian Houston was invited to a White House dinner that Mr Morrison attended in the US with President Donald Trump.

Earlier this afternoon Mr Morrison admitted Mr Houston was invited.

“Why the secrecy of stuff on the surface that doesn’t seem that big a deal?,” she asked.

“Those things aren’t that big a deal you have spoken about,” he told her. “I am focused on the things I took to the local people.”

Sales cut in: “You are not answering what I am asking.”

“I have disclosed the issues you have referred to. In relation to one of those matters I could have been more candid at the time about it. I wish I was. Frankly it wasn’t a big deal.”