Porter saves Coalition from difficult byelection after resigning from cabinet

Former attorney-general Christian Porter has resigned from federal cabinet rather than reveal more details about people who secretly financially supported his legal battle against the ABC, promising to stay in Federal Parliament and saving Prime Minister Scott Morrison from a potentially devastating byelection.

Less than a week since Mr Porter declared a blind trust was being used to help pay the undisclosed cost of his defamation case against the broadcaster and its reporter Louise Milligan, the West Australian MP stepped down as industry, science and technology minister.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Christian Porter’s resignation from the cabinet on Sunday.Credit: Edwina Pickles, Alex Ellinghausen

On Sunday afternoon Mr Morrison said after talks with Mr Porter, who had served as WA’s treasurer and had been considered a possible premier of that state, the MP had decided to move to the backbench.

He made the move before an inquiry by the head of Mr Morrison’s own department into whether Mr Porter had breached ministerial standards had reported to the Prime Minister.

According to Mr Morrison, Mr Porter had upheld those standards by resigning.

“What I would call it is the minister being the beneficiary of an arrangement that prevents him from being able to disclose to me in a way that would allow him to satisfy that he does not have a conflict of interest or a perceived conflict of interest,” Mr Morrison said.

“It is a blind trust. He cannot disclose to me who those donors are. The issue for [me] is about whether a minister is in a position to ensure that he can satisfy himself that he doesn’t have a conflict of interest, perceived or otherwise, and so the minister has taken a decision which respects that standard.”

Mr Porter said he was assured none of the anonymous financial contributors were lobbyists or prohibited foreign entities but instead people who wanted to avoid retribution for supporting him.

“They contributed to a trust on the basis of confidentiality and a belief that their contribution would remain confidential within the rules of disclosure,” he said.

Mr Porter said in a lengthy statement he did not believe he had breached ministerial standards and would not step down from his seat, adding he had nominated for preselection to be the Liberal candidate for Pearce at the next federal election.

He argued he had been the subject of a trial by media perpetrated by the ABC that reversed the onus of proof and unleashed an online mob against him. Rather than push for more details about those who had contributed to the blind trust, Mr Porter said he had stood down.

“Ultimately, I decided that if I have to make a choice between seeking to pressure the trust to break individuals’ confidentiality in order to remain in cabinet, or alternatively forego my cabinet position, there is only one choice I could, in all conscience, make,” he said.

Mr Porter had sued the ABC over a story he said accused him of raping a debating teammate in 1988. Mr Porter vehemently denied the story.

The case settled with the ABC appending a note to its story saying it did not intend to suggest Mr Porter “had committed the criminal offences alleged” and regretted some readers had interpreted it that way.

However, the ABC did not retract the story or apologise. It made a $100,000 contribution to Mr Porter’s legal fees for mediation and related costs, though his total bill was likely many times that given the ABC spent $780,000 to defend the matter, including the payment.

Had Mr Porter resigned, it would have paved the way for a byelection that the WA Liberal Party, left with two members in the state lower house, would struggle to contest. Labor has already endorsed popular local mayor Tracey Roberts as a candidate.

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese said the government’s handling did not pass the “laugh test” as Mr Porter had still not declared details about anonymous donations to the blind trust.

“The fact is that Christian Porter was the chief law officer of the land, appointed by Scott Morrison. And with today’s actions and the failure to disclose, he shows he’s not fit to be a member of Parliament,” Mr Albanese said.

”The government I lead will have a national anti-corruption commission. It will investigate ministers, where appropriate. It will investigate breaches of public faith because we need to restore public confidence in our political system, and Christian Porter’s actions do nothing to solve that.″⁣

Mr Morrison declined to directly endorse Mr Porter for preselection in his electorate, which has been made more marginal by a redistribution.

“If he wishes to stand again I’m sure he will put himself forward to the selectors that Pearce for the Liberal Party and in our party though selectors will make those decisions.”

Energy Minister Angus Taylor will act in Mr Porter’s portfolios, with a replacement likely to be announced when Mr Morrison returns from this week’s trip to the United States.

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