Was Scott Morrison behind leak of embarrassing David Feeney papers?

TREASURER Scott Morrison might have had a sneaky hand in the latest embarrassment to confront stumbling Labor frontbencher David Feeney.

Was Treasurer Scott Morrison behind the embarrassing leak of Labor election talking points?

TREASURER Scott Morrison might have had a sneaky hand in the latest embarrassment to confront stumbling Labor frontbencher David Feeney.

Yesterday, Mr Feeney was interviewed on Sky News and couldn’t answer a key spending question on the future of the $4.5 billion school kids’ bonus.

“I’ve been distracted over the last few days,” Mr Feeney said.

He also was questioned about his memory lapse involving a $2.3 million, negatively geared Melbourne house.

Perhaps a bit shaken, he left the Sky studio without relieving papers he had left on a red couch in an anteroom.

Treasurer Scott Morrison was the next guest to appear on Sky News after David Feeney.

The next guest in the studio was Mr Morrison, who today has taken great delight in pointing to Mr Feeney’s kids’ bonus blank and the lost documents.

A lot of people go through that anteroom during a normal, busy day.

However, the sequence of guests indicates the Treasurer and his staff were in the most opportune position to spot the Feeney documents, and perhaps use them for mischief.

Meanwhile, Sky News has been criticised today. Seven’s political editor Mark Riley told Sunrise that ethical issues could be involved.

At the very least, Sky News could be accused of bad manners towards a guest.

Things have gone from bad to worse for Labor MP David Feeney. Picture: Hollie Adams/The Australian

However, it is understood none of its journalists or other staff saw the Feeney papers.

Mr Morrison’s office declined comment when approached.

There were reports this morning that the papers revealed Labor’s “party policy blueprint”, but the documents were in fact just daily talking points issued by Labor leader Bill Shorten’s office to help shadow ministers deal with issues of the day.

And, for the record, a Bill Shorten government would not continue the school kids’ bonus.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen had to come up with the answer this morning after Mr Feeney had nothing to offer yesterday when he was asked about campaign spending on Sky News.

The school kids’ bonus, introduced by Labor’s Julia Gillard in 2012, is due to expire on July 1 —- the day before the election — but neither major party wants it renewed because of its $4.5 billion cost over four years.

“We will not be able to afford to bring back the school kids bonus,” Mr Bowen told the ABC this morning.