Federal election 2019: ABC’s Virginia Trioli turns on PM

Virginia Trioli accuses the PM of being “casual” on water buyback transparency | WATCH

Viriginia Trioli and Prime Minister Scott Morrison on ABC News Breakfast this morning.

ABC News Breakfast co-host Virginia Trioli has conducted an extraordinary interview with Scott Morrison, accusing the Prime Minister of being “casual” about transparency and accountability on the issue of water buybacks that has embroiled the government.

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Ms Trioli questioned Mr Morrison about the 2017 decision to buy $80m worth of water back from a company that was registered in the Cayman Islands and which once counted Energy Minister Angus Taylor as a director.

Mr Taylor has repeatedly said he has no financial interests in the company, Eastern Australia Agriculture.

Mr Morrison told Ms Trioli that Barnaby Joyce, who was the water minister at the time signing off on the deal, simply relied on the advice of the Department of Environment and that Labor ministers were around the COAG table when the buybacks were initiated.

“That department conducted those negotiations at arm’s length and inquired into the relevant matters required under the Act. The minister has acted in accordance with the legislation,” Mr Morrison said.

Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP says Barnaby Joyce "acted in accordance with the legislation" over the $80 million taxpayer-funded water deal.

"The Auditor-General will look over these things," he said.#AustraliaVotes pic.twitter.com/adRy0CdQ79

— News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) April 22, 2019

The exchange soon became heated, however. Here is a transcript of the segment:

Trioli: Here is the contradiction. He says it wasn’t his job and he says it was done at arm’s length is the repeated phrase. He put three conditions on the negotiations. He wanted advice on the impacts to employment in the region and then he wanted the department to ‘report back to me on this and seek financial approval before settling the purchase’. Was it arm’s length and not his job or did he want all this detail and this close involvement in the matter?

Morrison: The very things you have talked about are the very things that are routinely dealt with under those buybacks, the same things that were dealt with …

Trioli: He was involved in it …

Morrison: Wouldn’t you want to know what the impact on jobs was?

Trioli: In him wanting to know that, he was not involved at arm’s length. Correct?

Morrison: He was dealing with a legal entity. There is no suggestion that the company that was involved in the transaction was not a legal entity. The Labor Party did a deal with the same company. There was no questions raised about the integrity of the company with which Labor did a deal. Why would there be questions raised if the Liberal Party does one? I am not sure what the double standard is there.

Trioli: I will share with you potentially another double standard there and that is the government’s at pains to criticise Labor for everything but now you’re prepared to rely 100 per cent on Labor and they are the font of all wisdom and truth when it suits you in this particular issue?

Morrison: I’m not quite sure the accusation you’re making there.

Trioli: You’re saying Labor did it so therefore it is fine for the government to do it?

Morrison: If you let me answer the question. I am simply saying the policy of how strategic water buybacks are done, are done under the framework set under COAG. The Murray Darling Basin plan has been a bipartisan initiative since it was first set up and the rules and procedures for undertaking the buybacks are set out and administered by the department and done at arm’s length. That has been done under both governments. I have never sought to make a partisan issue out of the Murray Darling Basin plan. It is an important plan for rural New South Wales. It is a complex plan and sometimes a frustrating set of arrangements. We seek to do it in a bipartisan way. That is the simple point I am making.

Trioli: We now learn that the company at the centre of that buy back, Eastern Australia Agriculture, donated $55,000 to the Liberal Party before the 2013 election. Does that cause you discomfort today?

Morrison: It is a fully disclosable donation. Donations are disclosable in Australia. There is no evidence to suggest that played any role in this arrangement. Are you suggesting that?

Trioli: Do you see the impression it causes?

Morrison: No, I am saying that I would think the department that negotiated this at arm’s length — remember this was initiated by the Queensland Government, this entire buy back.

Trioli: We have heard that several times.

Morrison: I don’t see how that would have played any role and I don’t think there is any serious suggestion that that would have played any role. I don’t see how it would?

Trioli: It is being reported today as being a serious suggestion, so the question for you is this …

Morrison: I would say that would be a misinformed suggestion.

Trioli: Sure. You said on January 14 on this program, that you’re a Prime Minister for standards. Is this the standard that we should accept from you, rather casual about accountability and transparency and seemingly unaccountable about value for taxpayer money?

Morrison: Virginia, I think they’re pretty strong accusations you have just made without providing any foundation for them. What I have simply said is the strategic water buyback program has been run strictly in accordance with the rules and accountability and reviews by the Auditor-General. I don’t know how you could make those allegations in the way that you have. I would seem to think that would be over the top from you.

Trioli: We will see what the court of public opinion thinks. Thanks for making time for us today.

Morrison: We will see what the Auditor-General says.

Trioli: Indeed.

Morrison: That is the transparent process.

Trioli: Look forward to that transparent process.