Scott Morrison dares Anthony Albanese to test his control of parliament

Scott Morrison has dared ­Anthony Albanese to try to bring down his prime ministership following Craig Kelly’s defection.

Craig Kelly at parliament on Wednesday: ‘The values of Sir Robert Menzies run through my veins and that’s how I will be proceeding.’ Picture: Getty Images

Scott Morrison has dared ­Anthony Albanese to try to bring down his prime ministership following Craig Kelly’s defection to the crossbench.

Mr Kelly on Wednesday helped block Labor’s first attempt to test the government’s numbers in the House of Representatives and pledged not to join any other political parties, saying Liberal values still “run through my veins”.

In question time, Labor pursued Mr Kelly’s continued support for a staff member accused of sexual harassment and the Sydney MP’s advocacy for unorthodox COVID-19 treatments, as the ­Opposition Leader claimed the Prime Minister was now reliant on Mr Kelly’s support.

“The government has lost its majority on the floor of the house and, for confidence, now depends on the vote of a crossbench conspiracy theorist who’s pushing ­discredited and dangerous treatments during a health pandemic,” Mr Albanese said.

The government now has 75 members on the floor of the House of Representatives — plus Speaker Tony Smith — and it is at risk of a ­repeat of parliamentary defeats that plagued Mr Morrison’s minority government before the 2019 election and Julia Gillard’s government from 2010 to 2013.

Mr Morrison on Wednesday said the source of his authority was his majority victory at the last election. “There are more of us on this side than there are of them on that side,” he said. “You know who made that decision? The Australian people. At the last election, we went to that election and the Australian people rejected the Labor Party. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to test the issue that he seems to so boldly puff out his chest on … if he thinks he has control of this house, I invite him to move the relevant motion or stop showing off.”

Mr Kelly told The Australian after question time that Mr Morrison’s statement was a “vote of confidence in me”. “The Prime Minister showed he had confidence I would support the government on confidence, supply and our election promises. I will keep my word on that,” he said.

Mr Albanese did not move a motion of no confidence, but did try to test the government through a motion condemning Mr Morrison’s handling of allegations ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins was raped in Defence Minister Linda Reynold’s office in 2019.

The motion also accused Mr Morrison of failing to do enough to remove Mr Kelly’s staff member Frank Zumbo, who has faced allegations of harassment and bullying since 2014. Mr Zumbo denies the allegations and plans to sue Guardian Australia for reporting them. Mr Albanese’s motion was ­defeated 65 to 55, with Mr Kelly supporting the government.

Mr Morrison said it had “long been his view” that Mr Zumbo should have his employment terminated. “That has been my view for many years based on our own (Mr Kelly and Mr Morrison’s) conversations,” he said. “This is a matter that has been ongoing for a very long time.”

The Department of Finance is investigating allegations of inappropriate workplace behaviour by Mr Kelly’s office manager.

Last week, the Guardian reported that Mr Zumbo remained working in Mr Kelly’s electoral ­office despite an allegation by a teenage intern that Mr Zumbo kissed her on the neck.

It reported that an apprehended violence order had been ­granted in September 2020 by police in Sutherland, in Sydney’s southern suburbs. Mr Zumbo has denied wrongdoing and no charges have been made against him. He said on Tuesday the allegations were “uncorroborated, false and defamatory”.

The Australian understands Mr Zumbo had been on Mr Morrison’s radar for years because of feedback relating to his compet­ency, with the workplace allegations against Mr Zumbo reported last year only deepening the Prime Minister’s concern.

Mr Kelly again supported Mr Zumbo on Wednesday, but said he had no plans to vote against any government legislation or join any other political parties.

“I will be voting on those from my conscience as a traditional Liberal Party member,” he told ABC radio. “The values of (Liberal Party founder) Sir Robert Menzies run through my veins and that’s how I will be proceeding.”