Christian Porter and Linda Reynolds to stay in Cabinet after reshuffle

Scott Morrison will keep Attorney-General Christian Porter and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in his cabinet after a reshuffle, he has revealed.

Christian Porter and Linda Reynolds will remain in Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s cabinet after an impending reshuffle after weeks of chaos.

The Prime Minister did not deny he planned to move both ministers but he said they would “continue to play a very important role in my cabinet”.

“When I make judgments on those things I will announce them,” he told A Current Affair.

“I am working through those issues now. One is on mental health leave and the other is on physical health leave. Linda in particular, had a very serious coronary condition.”

Mr Morrison’s comments came as Tracy Grimshaw gave him a grilling over the shocking sexual harassment and abuse allegations raised by women in recent weeks.

Tracy: "People knew about it. She told people about it. Why was she on her own?"

The full interview. Tonight at 7.00. #9ACApic.twitter.com/bmDkbLHSCM

— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) March 25, 2021

“Where have you been?” she asked “Or maybe you’re in a bubble, I don’t know.

“How did you not know the depth of it?”

The PM said he wanted to hear about the issue of violence against women. “I may have not always got it the way people would like me to,” he said.

“I’m doing everything I can, as best as a bloke can frankly.

“I don’t think this should be an issue that sets men against women. It’s not about men versus women or anything like that.”

He said it had “been like a big wake up call”.

Grimshaw replied: “It hasn’t been a wake-up call to 52 per cent of Australians.”

Linda Reynolds and Christian Porter.

Mr Porter announced he was going on mental health leave at a press conference on March 3 in which he vehemently denied a historical claim that he raped a 16-year-old girl.

He has been under pressure to resign after he revealed himself as the minister at the centre of the rape allegation.

Mr Porter has never been charged and police confirmed there was “insufficient evidence” to proceed with an investigation, labelling the matter “closed”.

His decision to launch defamation proceedings against the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan saw calls for him to be removed from his position intensify, over conflict of interest concerns.

Senator Reynolds has been on leave since February after being admitted to hospital to receive treatment for a pre-existing heart condition.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to be drawn on Mr Porter’s future in Parliament on Wednesday. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

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She has faced intense criticism over her handling of Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape in Parliament House — first reported by news.com.au in February this year.

The former Liberal Party staffer alleged she was raped at Parliament House in Defence Minister Reynolds’ ministerial office by a colleague.

Grimshaw said “you don’t need processes to know how to act humanely” and asked why Ms Higgins was “on her own” and why people who knew of the incident weren’t fired.

Mr Morrison said: “They were trying like everyone else would be trying in those circumstances.

“We have to fix this and you don’t have to tear things down to build things up.”It’s easy to just say point the finger here, point the finger … you haven’t fixed the problem.”

Police are investigating the incident and a political inquiry was suspended on Monday over concerns it could interfere with the criminal probe.

Brittany Higgins is seen outside Parliament House on March 15 during the March 4 Justice event. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

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The Morrison government has been under renewed pressure since the publication on Monday of “disgusting” images and videos of male senior government staff performing sex acts in Parliament House.

A shambolic press conference by Mr Morrison the next day, in which he falsely claimed News Corp Australia — publisher of news.com.au — was subject to its own harassment investigation, saw criticism intensify.

One-in-two voters in the key election battleground state of Victoria have rated the Government’s response to the numerous sexual misconduct and abuse allegations as very poor.