Morrison stands by Taylor amid police probe of document doctoring
Angus Taylor’s office is under police investigation over allegations it doctored a document used to attack Sydney mayor Clover Moore.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor’s office is under police investigation over allegations it doctored a document used to attack Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
Scott Morrison declared he would stand by his embattled minister as the NSW Police Force formed a strike force to investigate whether Mr Taylor’s office altered the City of Sydney’s annual report and gave the false figures to The Daily Telegraph.
READ MORE: Taylor rejects ‘outrageous’ document claims | NSW Police investigate Energy Minister’s office
Mr Taylor used the wrong figures to claim City of Sydney councillors spent nearly $16m on travel last year, despite the real figure being less than $6000.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that detectives from the State Financial Crime Squad had launched Strike Force Garrad to investigate alleged doctoring of the City of Sydney’s 2017-18 annual report and to determine whether any criminal offences had occurred.
“The NSW Police Force is in the early stages of investigating information into the reported creation of fraudulent documentation,” a spokeswoman for the NSW Police Force said.
Mr Taylor distributed the figures in an attempt to accuse Ms Moore of hypocrisy over her stance on climate change.
Anthony Albanese urged the Prime Minister to sack Mr Taylor from cabinet, calling it “the most open and shut case I have ever seen”.
“This minister cannot survive this day,” Mr Albanese said.
Under clause 7.1 of the Statement of Ministerial Standards, a prime minister has the discretion to sack a minister if they are the subject of a police investigation.
The Prime Minister made a special statement in parliament to declare he would stand by Mr Taylor after speaking about the investigation with NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller.
Mr Morrison said he had been assured the issue was investigated because it was referred to police by opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus.
“I take matters of ministerial standards very seriously. I have since spoken with the NSW Commissioner, Mick Fuller, about the instigation, the nature and substance of their inquiries, which he advised me were based only on the allegations referred by the shadow attorney-general,” Mr Morrison said. “Based on the information provided to me by the commissioner, I consider there is no action required by me.
“The NSW police should now be left to complete their inquiries, which will be considered upon their completion.”
The use of the inaccurate figures triggered a political stoush when parliament last sat in October, with Mr Taylor strongly rejecting suggestions that he or any members of his staff altered any documents taken from the City of Sydney website. Mr Taylor has argued that there were different versions of the same report online and that only the City of Sydney could offer an explanation.
Mr Taylor said in parliament on Tuesday he would co-operate with the police investigation.
“I reject absolutely the suggestion that I, or any members of my staff, altered the documents in question,” Mr Taylor said during question time.
“I won’t be lectured to by the party of Aldi bags and wine boxes full of cash. I’m not going to be lectured to about integrity in the week that Labor is celebrating Eddie Obeid coming out on parole.”
Mr Albanese said Mr Taylor was misleading the parliament in claiming he got the figures from the City of Sydney’s website. “The Westminster system is very clear: if you mislead parliament deliberately, you are gone,” he said.
A spokesman for Ms Moore said her office had been contacted by police over the alleged forged document. “We will of course fully co-operate with the police investigation and have nothing further to add at this time,” he said.
Police were still to approach Mr Taylor or his office last night.
‘Good week to tell the truth’: Turnbull turns on ABC after Trump row
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull lashed the ABC as 'pusillanimous' in a tetchy and defensive Radio National interview, while remaining unrepentant after suggestions his criticism of Donald Trump had hurt tariff negotiations.
Politician’s spendathon takes voters for mugs
Very little attention is now paid to the trade-offs inherent in government spending. If it looks like a political winner, this is generally considered to provide a green light to proceed.