Prime Minister Scott Morrison talks with Energy Renaissance staff at their site in Tomago.Credit:Kate Geraghty
“To watch him stand up there and go through that vilification,even with some of those journalists in the room who were just baying for blood,I thought his performance was quite remarkable and he held up the best he could,” Mr Dutton said on 2GB radio.
Former prime minister John Howard and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg gave more measured endorsements of Mr Porter’s handling of the allegation,echoing Mr Morrison’s call for the police investigation to be respected and emphasising the presumption of innocence.
“I agree with the handling of this very difficult and sensitive issue by the Prime Minister and minister,” Mr Howard said,also on 2GB.
Loading
Referrals to the police and Mr Porter’s press conference did not stop calls for an inquiry,with independent MPs demanding one to clear the air,ensure the top law officer of Australia was beyond reproach,and retain faith in the justice system.
Mr Frydenberg said he could see the “anguish” on Mr Porter’s face when he addressed a press conference on Wednesday but said he disagreed with calls for Mr Porter to step down.
“Australians – whether it’s Christian Porter or yourself or myself or any other Australian citizen – are entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Mr Frydenberg said on Nine’sToday show.
Mr Dutton also lashed out at his former boss and rival,Malcolm Turnbull,who had added his support to the push for an independent inquiry.
“I think the comments say more about Mr Turnbull than it does anybody else,and as you say the really important point here is the tragedy of the family … they never wanted any of this to be made public,” Mr Dutton said.
He said the furore over the allegation against Mr Porter,in comparison to a much smaller storm over rape allegations that were investigated by police but dismissed for insufficient evidence against then-Labor leader Bill Shorten in 2014,showed for some people “their attack was political”.
National Sexual Assault,Family&Domestic Violence Counselling Line:1800 737 732. Crisis support can be found at Lifeline:(13 11 14 andlifeline.org.au),the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467 andsuicidecallbackservice.org.au) and beyondblue (1300 22 4636 andbeyondblue.org.au).