Once considered a potential prime minister,former attorney-general Christian Porter will quit politics at the next federal election. Greg Hunt is tipped to join him.
Parliament’s privileges committee cleared Mr Porter over his register of members interests,but vowed to investigate how The Guardian had details of the report before it was released.
Former federal Liberal minister Christian Porter says reports he intends to announce his retirement from Parliament and move from Perth to Sydney are incorrect.
David Anderson told a Senate hearing the ABC agreed to pay journalist Louise Milligan’s legal costs when she was sued by Andrew Laming because it feared costs blowing out to $700,000.
Trust in government,meanwhile,is taking a battering - and Christian Porter’s Liberal colleagues know it.
The privileges committee is considering rules around anonymous donors after MPs asked it to examine Christian Porter’s use of a trust to fund legal fees.
The federal government voted against Speaker Tony Smith’s recommendation that a committee examine Christian Porter’s use of a blind trust to pay legal fees.
Christian Porter will appeal against a decision that prevented his barrister from acting for him in his defamation case against the ABC,even though that case was settled.
Scott Morrison had two opportunities to show leadership and political smarts this week. He torpedoed them both.
Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s dismissal of Christian Porter’s behaviour as “a bad day at the wicket” dilutes the seriousness of his actions.
But the rules governing the MPs register of interests are unclear about whether the source of gifts must be declared.