SUBJECTS: OzCar, Mr Godwin Grech
JOHN STANLEY:
Chris Bowen, the Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law, is taking the running on this, this afternoon for the Government, he is on the line with me now.
Mr Bowen, good afternoon to you.
CHRIS BOWEN:
Good afternoon John.
STANLEY:
Now, Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan have been cleared but the issue of Godwin Grech - can he have any future now in the public service after the events of today?
BOWEN:
Look, it is a matter for the Secretary of the Treasury, and he will deal with that matter appropriately.
But as you say there are two things arising out of today, John, very importantly. Firstly Mr Turnbull made very serious allegations against the Prime Minister and Treasurer, the Auditor-General today left those in shreds, and found that the Prime Minister and Treasurer had acted with completely high standards in accordance with the expectations of the law and the Australian people.
Secondly, as you say, Mr Turnbull has admitted today that he, and other senior Liberals, were intimately involved with Mr Grech in the preparation of his appearance before the Senate inquiry and even the holding of the Senate Inquiry. That's a very, very serious thing John.
They had been discussing with Mr Grech what evidence he would give, discussing the email and even to providing Mr Grech with journalist's phone numbers.
So Mr Turnbull has been involved in this at a very intimate level.
STANLEY:
Yet he would argue that he had a senior public servant who had concerns, and was a whistleblower, come to him and had provided him with information that he believed implicated the Prime Minister and had urged Mr Turnbull to provide to provide him with a forum where he could publically prove that information – isn't that what whistleblowers do all the time?
BOWEN:
This is a cop out by Mr Turnbull.
Oppositions receive allegations all the time, the leader of the opposition has to show judgement, has to show some restraint and not call for the resignation of the Prime Minister and Treasurer based on what we now know to be a lie. That's what Mr Turnbull did, he showed appalling judgement, a lack of judgement, his judgement went awol.
The position of Leader of the Opposition is a very important one, they are there to hold the Government to account. When the Leader of the Opposition says something, it is important that the Australian people can take it at face value, and unfortunately, and I say more in sadness, they can no longer….
STANLEY:
You are not saying it in sadness! You are delighted by the events surely.
BOWEN:
Look the role of Leader of the Opposition is actually a very important one, and Mr Turnbull has zero credibility now. His position is untenable and he has got no choice but to resign. He took no responsibility for this course of events at his press conference, it was all Mr Grech's fault, and it is always somebody else's fault with Mr Turnbull. He should have taken some responsibility and done the decent thing and handed his resignation in.
STANLEY:
But if you have a senior public servant, as Godwin Grech was, who was involved in this program, who had given you, and they have outed him as one of their sources over the years, who provided the previous government and then the opposition with tangible, useful and obvious correct information - why wouldn't you believe that what he was telling you was correct, even to the point where he showed you an email?
BOWEN:
Well, Mr Turnbull needs to show superior judgement, he needed to take these things – look as I say John, oppositions receive these allegations all the time…
STANLEY:
But a senior public servant sitting opposite the table showing you an email, you are sure you wouldn't possibly believe that he would be fabricating it would you?
BOWEN:
The Prime Minister came out very quickly after Mr Turnbull - remember Mr Turnbull's other lack of judgement was to have that incident at the Press Gallery dinner where he alleged to one of the Prime Minister's staff that there was documentary evidence of an email. The Prime Minister made it very clear that there was no email.
Mr Turnbull proceeded just proceeded to make very serious allegations to effectively defame the Prime Minister and Treasurer and accuse them of very serious offences.
Now, you just can't do that without very, very solid evidence, and the Auditor-General has found today that there was no evidence – in fact what the Auditor-General found today was that there was preferential treatment for one car dealer, that was by Mr Grech, and that car dealer received preferential treatment because he was a donor and supporter of the Liberal Party.
I mean this is a very damning report from the Auditor-General. It leaves Mr Turnbull's creditability in tatters, and look really, if he doesn't resign then the Liberal Party should require his resignation.
STANLEY:
Alright, if he resigns, and you think the Opposition Leader's position is so important – who should take that job?
BOWEN:
Well look, at the end of the day, the Liberal Party will determine that, and we will fight whoever the Liberal Party puts up at the next election based on policy.
STANLEY:
Alright, another final one, the Herald on the weekend, you would have seen reference to the old mates of the 80's and 90's, Graham Richardson, Bob Carr, Paul Keating, Leo Macleay and Laurie Brereton. You were portrayed as one of the five new mates – which of them are you – are you Richo? Are you Paul Keating, are you Leo Macleay?
BOWEN:
I think the journalist made a link to Laurie Brereton, because I don't mind a stoush occasionally…
STANLEY:
So you are the new Laurie Brereton?
BOWEN:
…that's what the journalist said, but I am just doing my job John, others will make those comparisons.
STANLEY:
Nice to talk to you, thank you. That is Chris Bowen.