MARK DREYFUS
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
MADELEINE KING MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE
MEMBER FOR BRAND
TAXPAYERS FORK OUT FOR MORRISON’S WA BORDER HUMILIATION
The Morrison Government must finally reveal the full cost of its decision to side with Clive Palmer’s bid to tear down Western Australia’s border controls against COVID-19.
For over a year, in its typically arrogant fashion, the Morrison Government has asserted that the full cost of its dangerous and damaging attempt to undermine Western Australia’s border measures is a state secret.
Scott Morrison and his former Attorney-General, Christian Porter, have even claimed – repeatedly – that it would harm the public interest by complicating negotiations if that information were revealed.
But while the Commonwealth has now compensated Western Australia for its costs, we still don’t know how many thousands of taxpayer dollars Scott Morrison and Christian Porter wasted teaming up with Clive Palmer to try to tear down WA’s hard border.
Christian Porter and Scott Morrison threw the full weight of the Commonwealth behind Clive Palmer’s failed challenge to Western Australia’s public health measures.
They sent in the Commonwealth Solicitor-General, backed by a team of barristers and solicitors from the Australian Government Solicitor to support Clive Palmer’s challenge. Over a number of days, Christian Porter and Scott Morrison’s legal team called multiple witnesses, vigorously cross-examined Western Australia’s public health experts and did everything they could to force open the state’s borders.
It was only in the face of a massive public backlash from Western Australians that Scott Morrison backed out of the challenge. But the damage was already done, which is why Clive Palmer publicly thanked Mr Morrison for helping his challenge.
The people of WA will not forget this.
ENDS
