THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW ARTS MINISTER
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
THE HON JASON CLARE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR RESOURCES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
MEMBER FOR BLAXLAND
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
PRESS CONFERENCE
SYDNEY
FRIDAY, 20 MAY 2016
SUBJECTS: AFP Raids; Malcolm Turnbull's mismanagement of the NBN.
MARK DREYFUS, SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL: Weve had a series of extraordinary events overnight with a police raid being conducted at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Melbourne, specifically at the office of Senator Conroy, an Opposition frontbencher. That raid took until very late into the evening. It was followed by a raid on the home of an opposition staff member. That raidwas not completed until 5am thismorning. As we have heard from theCommissioner of the AustralianFederal Police, Andrew Colvin this morning, a claim for parliamentaryprivilege has been made in respectof those documents and that's avery important aspect of thismatter because, of course,parliamentary privilege protectsthe activities of members ofParliament, in particular, itprotects the activities of members of Parlia ment who are engaged inholding the Government to account,who are engaged in conductinginquiries, as indeed Senator Conroyhas been for many months as aSenator, as a member of a Senatecommittee inquiring into themismanagement of the NBN by thecurrent Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull when he was the Communications Minister. Thoseextraordinary events are notcompleted. The claim forparliamentary privilege hasresulted in the documents beingsealed and that claim will beresolved by parliamentary processeswhich are to come in coming weeks.
But there is a more serious matter underlying this. Not only has thisraid, both raids, occurred during anelection campaign, they are inresponse to or, as we have learnedagain from Commissioner Colvin thismorning, an investigation commencedat the behest of a Governmentagency, NBN Co. What we need toknow is what did the Prime Minister, or hisMinisters, or their staff have todo with the commencement of thisinvestigation and what do they knowabout that. Have they had, has thePM or his Ministers or their staffhad conversations with executivesof NBN Co, a Government agency Iwould stress again, about the conduct of this investigation andhas the PM or his Ministers or anyof their staff sought updates fromNBN Co, because this investigation,I say again, is sponsored by, wasprompted by the NB N Co asking foran investigation last December intoleaks which had occurred,allegedly, over several previousmonths because one of the documents,which is being sought here goesback to 2014.
I mention also thatnot only are there concerns aboutthe way in which this Governmentagency has acted and concerns aboutwhat involvement there is of the Prime Ministeror Ministers or their staff with the NBN Co, it's now becomeapparent that this search warrantprocess is directed not merely atOpposition frontbenchers and theirstaff, but directed also at themedia. It raises questions aboutnot only the public's right toknow, but the right of the media topublish. As some commentators havealready said this morning, itraises questions about protectionof whistle blowers because at base,what this matter is about is documents which are concerned withthe mismanagement of the NBN. Mycolleague, Jason Clare, is going tosay more about that, butmismanagement of the NBN process,the ap palling cost blowout, theappalling delay, the fact thatAustralia has slipped from 30th to60th in internet speeds across theworld, all of them theresponsibility of the man who isthe current Prime Minister, but was for thefirst two years or so of thisGovernment, the CommunicationsMinister and responsible for thesematters.
So, it's for theGovernment to answer questionsabout what they knew, when theyknew it and what their involvementhas been in this investigation andwhile they are about it, the Prime Minister,ministers should answer questionsas to why this particular set ofleaks as distinct from the 20 or soleaks about national securitymatters, which have not been thesubject of any police raids, havenot even been the subject of anypolice investigation in some cases,why this matter concerning the NBNCo and Mr Turnbull's mismanagement has been given such differenttreatment. Jason.
JASON CLARE, SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS: Thanks, Mark.Look, Malcolm Turnbull basicallyhad one job for the first two yearsof this Government and that's tobuild the NBN. By any objectiveanalysis he has made a shockingmess of it. The cost of the NBN isnow almost double what MalcolmTurnbull said it would be. The time it's going to take to build the NBNis more than double what MalcolmTurnbull said it would be. AndAustralian internet speeds aredouble what they - we went from30th in the world to 60th in theworld over the last three years. Wehave doubled in the rankings. It'sa shocking mess, a shockingindictment on Malcolm Turnbull'sadministration of the NBN. Theseleaks, these leaked documents arevery damaging for Malcolm Turnbull and ver y embarrassing because theyexpose his failure as a Minister. They expose his failure in implementingthe policy he took to the lastelection. What these leakeddocuments show, is they show thedelays, they show that in the fibreto the node areas where they arerolling out fibre to the node, theyare all behind schedule. They showthe cost blowouts. For example,they show that the cost of fixingthe old copper to make this second-rate NBN work has blown outby 1,000 per cent. So it's veryembarrassing, very damaging forMalcolm Turnbull. The events of thelast 24 hours shine a bigger lightthan ever before on the abjectfailure of Malcolm Turnbull tobuild the NBN. No wonder NBN Cowants to silence these whistle blowers. Malcolm Turnbullhas butchered the NBN. Instead of NBNgetting the police intoinvestigate, they should be focusedon fixing it. They shou ld befocused on doing what everyAustralian wants and that is to buildthe NBN that Australians need forthe future. Happy to takequestions.
JOURNALIST: I've losttrack of the silly political referrals to theAFP on Bronwyn Bishop's travelexpenses. Is this your chickenscoming home to roost? You haveengaged in this silly game of trying to escalate referrals and nowit's come back to bite you?
DREYFUS: Iwholly reject that question and thepremise behind it. I don't thinkthere is the slightest problemabout drawing the attention of the Australian Federal Police ordrawing the attention of theAustralian people to a misuse, avery serious misuse of publicoffice by a Turnbull GovernmentMinister, namely Stuart Robert. Heis now under continuing investigation by the AustralianFederal Police. For you, ajournalist, to suggest that in anyway there was anything - I thinkyour word was "Silly" - is an absurdquestion to ask and a ridiculousdemeaning of the role of theOpposition, which is to hold theGovernment to account. I am veryproud of the role that we haveplayed in holding this Governmentto account. It was completelyappropriate that the Australian& nbsp;Federal Police investigate StuartRobert. It is, on the face of it,an appalling misuse of his publicoffice to lend his high office asa Minister of the AustralianCommonwealth to his business matesfor an event in China becausethat's what's at base and he wasphotographed doing it. I don'tthink there is any problem withthat. I reject any comparison thatyou are trying to draw.
JOURNALIST: The NBN,referred their leaks to the AFP,you referred yours?
DREYFUS: Australiancitizens have the right where theythink some wrongdoing has occurredto ask the police to investigate.Our interest here is in how thiswas prompted by GovernmentMinisters. It's the role of the Prime Minister,the role of the Minister, the roleof their staff in acting,apparently, differently in relationto these alleged leaks to more than20, often very serious nationalsecurity leaks that have occurredover the course of theAbbott-Turnbull Government. Or indeed theattitude expressed by Mr Turnbullto the suggestion that there shouldbe an inquiry into the release ofthe photograph of the staff memberwho was involved in Mr Briggs'resignation where Mr Turnbull as Prime Ministerdismissed that proposition, saying,I think something to the effect&n bsp;that "These leak inquiries never goanywhere". Why is it in the case ofthe NBN Co where the documents arerevealing tremendous embarrassmentto Mr Turnbull for hismismanagement of the NBN, why is it that's thesubject of an investigation thathas been commenced by the NBN Co, a Government agency and serious national security leakshave been left uninvestigated. Thats the point.
JOURNALIST: This morning you suggested on Radio Nationalthat there werequestioning about the timing ofthese raids. You've since heard from the AFP Commissioner who has held a pressconference saying the electioncampaign has nothing to do with itand he says it's just the progressof the investigation, do you stilldispute that?
DREYFUS: I'm very, verypleased to have had the explanationfrom Commissioner Colvin. It'sentirely appropriate that he held apress conference to explain whatwas the basis of the timingbecause, of course, Australianslooking last night or Australianslooking this morning at their newswould be immensely concerned at thesight of Australian police going into the offices of Oppositionmembers, going into the homes ofOpposition staff. That's notsomething that is very common inAustralia. It, of course, raisesconcerns and that's why I'm verypleased that Commissioner Colvinhas gone out this morning andexplained, as he has, the timing ofthis. But it's not about theAustralian Federal Police. This isabout why NBN Co has chosen tocommence this inv estigation, whythe Government, because the NBN Coanswers to the Government, has hadthis investigation undertaken and not much more serious potentiallynational security leaks.
JOURNALIST: So you areentirely satisfied with theexplanation from the AFP?
DREYFUS: I'veaccepted what Commissioner Colvinhas said. This is about theinvolvement of Ministers, aboutwhat the Prime Minister has had to do withthis, about what their staff havehad to do with this because itbeggars belief that a governmentagency, the NBN, has completely,without reference to its Minister,completely without reference to thePrime Minister or any of their staff, goneabout pursuing the leaks in the waythat it has.
JOURNALIST: So just following onfrom that, you're talking about theindependence of the NBN Co.
DREYFUS: It'snot independent. That's a verystraightforward matter. It's agovernment-owned enterprise.
JOURNALIST: So youare alleging there was directinterference?
DREYFUS: These are questionsfor the Government to answer. It'snot a matter of interference. TheNBN Co answers to the Government. It is wholly owned by the Government.It's a government-owned enterprise.
JOURNALIST: You're not alleging it happened.
DREYFUS: I'm asking the question and theGovernment should be answeringthese questions.
JOURNALIST: You don't mindthat they did these raids during anelection campaign, you've withdrawnthat criticism?
DREYFUS: I think it'sconcerning these raids occurred.It is unprecedented, as I said lastnight, I have aconcern, just as Commissioner Colvin has concern about confidenceof Australians, of all Australians,in our police forces, in oursecurity agencies. It's absolutelyvital that everybody understandsthat police forces do not act in apolitically motivated manner. It'sbecause of that concern that it wasappropriate for Commissioner Colvinto go out this morning, as he did,to put those concerns to rest. Butobviously those concerns cannothelp but arise when you've got araid on an Opposition frontbencher's office at theCommonwealth Parliamentary officesin Melbourne and a raid on anOpposition's staffer's home inMelbourne occurring in the secon dweek of an election campaign.
JOURNALIST: Doyou think it's acceptable, as someonewho could become theAttorney-General in the coming weeks, to insinuate that the Government could have control over the AFP because indirectly, that's whats been said?
DREYFUS: It'snot what's been said. As has beensaid by Commissioner Colvin thismorning the investigation beingconducted by the Australian FederalPolice is being conducted becausethe NBN Co asked for it to beconducted. Our question is, as towhat were the conversations betweenthe Prime Minister, between ministers, betweenstaff of the PM and ministers andNBN Co that prompted thisinvestigation and on and an ongoingbasis, what did they know about this investigation?
JOURNALIST: Was theVictorian ALP concerned about thepress freedom when they sought the prosecution forjournalists at The Age newspaperfor exposing the use of data basing?
DREYFUS: Im not even going to dignifythat question with an answerbecause it has nothing to do withthe subject matter of this pressconference.
JOURNALIST: are you concernedabout the leaking
DREYFUS: The PoliceCommissioner, Commissioner Colvin,is concerned about that matter andthat's why he said at his pressconference this morning that he has referred that particular issue tothe integrity processes of theAustralian Federal Police.
JOURNALIST: TheCommissioner might think theFederal Police has been compromisedby the way this information hasbeen revealed?
DREYFUS: It's very unusual for theAustralian Police Commissioner, theCommissioner himself, to hold apress conference about an ongoinginvestigation. The reason that hehas held that press conference isbecause concerns arise as tothe confidence people can have inthe independence of the AustralianFederal Police. That's why I saidto earlier questions, I was verypleased to see Commissioner Colvinout there this morning reassuring Australians, as he should, as tothe independence of the AustralianFederal Police. But the reason he'shad to do that is because of thetiming of these raids.
JOURNALIST: You'd thinkthat the operation aspects of theinquiry impacted by the debateswirling around it and they'reentitled to feel they're notoperating in a clean environment?
DREYFUS: Ithink common sense would tell youthat if the Australian FederalPolice execute raids on theCommonwealth Parliamentary Officesand on an Opposition frontbencher's office and on anOpposition staffer's home during anelection campaign, they're notexactly going to get clear air. This has been created by theconduct of these raids and theAustralian Federal Police, with thegreatest of respect to them, neededto take that into account andperhaps they have. It's notsomething that Commissioner Colvinwent to this morning. But theyneeded to take that into account in the context of the ongoinginvestigation. Thanks very much.
ENDS
