Reaction to Angus Taylor documents overshadows initial mistake

Energy Minister Angus Taylor. Picture: Kym Smith

The reaction to Angus Taylor’s bizarre use of dodgy figures to attack the climate change credentials of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, is now bigger and more politically dangerous than the initial mistake.

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Scott Morrison, in defending his minister and standing up to Labor, has now put his integrity and judgment on the line and is being damaged.

The Prime Minister’s personal call to the NSW Police Commissioner, Mick Fuller, who is a friend, has developed a life far beyond what Morrison envisaged.

Anthony Albanese is now seeking the details of “what was said” as Labor grabs at every new line of attack and Morrison’s predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, said it was inappropriate and call he would not have made.

Morrison’s defence of the Energy Minister’s mishandling of the Sydney Mayor’s travel costs is based on a belief that leaders have to show loyalty. Labor’s Mark Dreyfus has launched scores of appeals for police investigations which have all come to nought, but the Prime Minister doesn’t want to stand down Taylor without evidence and he is determined to project a “stable” government.

However Morrison’s call to the NSW Police Commissioner – even as Turnbull concedes was likely not to contain anything wrong – has given Labor a “day two” in parliament to pursue Taylor and Morrison.

Taylor should have killed this off with an immediate apology and retraction once it was clear a mistake – whatever the origin – was made.