Scott Morrison admits he did seek White House invite for Hillsong pastor Brian Houston

After dismissing reports as ‘gossip’, the PM confirms he asked for Hillsong’s Brian Houston to be invited to a White House state dinner.

Hillsong pastor Brian Houston. Picture: John Grainger

Scott Morrison has confirmed that he asked the Trump administration to invite Hillsong pastor Brian Houston to a White House state dinner last September after he initially dismissed the report as “gossip”.

Mr Houston is being investigated by NSW Police for not reporting child sex abuse allegations involving his father, Frank Houston.

“I have known Brian for a very long time and Hillsong has a very big network of churches all across the United States and the ministry when it comes to their music have been a very big – it’s probably the single largest church organisation that is known in the United States,” Mr Morrison said in an interview on 2GB on Tuesday afternoon.

“Brian Houston actually turned up to the White House a few months later at the invitation directly of the White House.

“On that occasion we put forward a number of names that included Brian, but not everybody whose names were put forward were invited,” he said.

Mr Morrison, who attends Hillsong Church, said “they’re not things I follow closely,” in response to being asked if he was aware that Mr Houston was under investigation at the time.

“All I know is that they are a very large, and very well attended and well supported organisation here in Australia and they are very well known in the United States.

“So well known that Brian was actually at the White House a few months after I was so the president obviously didn’t have an issue with it and I think that is where the matter rests,” he said.

“Honestly people have chased this round and round for months, at the end of the day and what’s important is the relationship we have with the United States – it’s never been better.”

Mr Morrison was asked on the ABC on Tuesday night why he kept the request a secret and said he could have been more “upfront” about the issue.

“At the time I was in the United States and we had had a very important meeting with the President of the United States. It was not a matter I was intending to be distracted by,” he said on 7.30.

“At the time I could have answered the question differently and I have been upfront about that but honestly at the end of the day it was not a significant matter and people haven’t asked me about it for months and months.”

The Wall Street Journal reported in September last year that the US government refused the request from Mr Morrison.