Morrison palms off White House invitation questions

Labor has grilled Scott Morrison’s over whether he tried to secure an invitation to a White House dinner for Hillsong founder Brian Houston.

Hillsong founder Brian Houston. Picture: John Grainger

Labor has used the first question time since Scott Morrison’s trip to the US to grill him over whether he tried to secure an invitation to a White House dinner for Hillsong founder Brian Houston.

The Prime Minister refused to answer questions about the matter, which he dismissed as “gossip” when the accusation was published in The Wall Street Journal.

The US newspaper reported Mr Morrison was “determined” to bring Mr Houston as part of his delegation, calling the evangelist the Prime Minister’s “mentor”.

“But the White House vetoed the idea, telling his office that Mr Houston was not invited,” the newspaper reported, noting Mr Houston was criticised in the child sex abuse royal commission for failing to report allegations relating to his father, Frank Houston.

In parliament on Monday, deputy Labor leader Richard Marles asked whether The Wall Street Journal story was accurate, to which Mr Morrison replied the ­invitations were a “matter for the White House”.

When Mr Marles asked a second time, Mr Morrison accused him of “casting aspersions” on the senior pastor of the evangelist church.

“If they are suggesting anything serious or casting any aspersions on the individual which is the subject of the question, then perhaps I suggest they go and attend that church and they explain their concerns directly to their parishioners,” he said.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said Mr Morrison should have answered the questions.

“I found it very confusing as to how he was asked a direct question in the US and he kept on saying he does not comment on gossip,” Senator Wong said. “It is only gossip because he is not responding. I think the question to the Prime Minister and to Australians is, why won’t he answer?”