Tony Abbott and Pauline Hanson case Craig Emerson - Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations

Doorstop Interview

Transcript - 25 August 2003

EMERSON: John Howard and Tony Abbott have a lot of explaining to do. John Howard has publicly expressed sympathy for Pauline Hanson's plight but his attack dog, Tony Abbott has been up in Queensland offering to bankroll witnesses if they would testify against Pauline Hanson. The Prime Minister can't have it both ways. He's hypocrisy is on display yet again. He has got his attack dog in Queensland offering to bankroll witnesses, organising Pauline Hanson's prosecution. And then John Howard expresses sympathy for Pauline Hanson's plight saying that she's been treated unfairly.

Now, the public has the right to know where the money was coming from that Tony Abbott was offering to witnesses that he bankroll them. He lied to the media when it was put to him that he was indeed offering to bankroll witnesses, and he lied to the media and said he wasn't. And then when documentary evidence was provided, he said, `oh well it's not such a bad thing to mislead the media'. He was misleading the Australian people, deliberately misleading the Australian people and it was reported that he said to witnesses up there that he wanted his name kept out of his activities – on behalf of the Liberal Party – to organise the prosecution of Pauline Hanson. Now, I ask this question: did John Howard seriously expect us to believe that he knew nothing of Tony Abbott going to Queensland, offering to bankroll witnesses in the prosecution of Pauline Hanson?

John Howard has expected us to believe that he didn't know about the false claims of children being thrown overboard. He expects us to believe that Peter Reith never told him that the claims of children being thrown overboard were false. John Howard expects us to believe that he was never told about the full nature of the claim that Iraq had been seeking uranium from the country of Niger. John Howard has asked us to believe that he did not have a meeting with Dick Honan to discuss ethanol. And it's clear from the public record that an official transcript of that meeting exists and it did take place. The question is now does John Howard expect us to believe that his right hand man, his attack dog, went to Queensland, organised the prosecution of Pauline Hanson and he didn't know about it? Now that defies belief. And that's a question that needs to be put to John Howard.

JOURNALIST: [inaudible]

EMERSON: It is apparent that Tony Abbot was offering to fund the prosecution of Pauline Hanson. Now, he admitted that after he was exposed telling the ABC's Four Corners that he wasn't doing that. Documentary proof was then furnished and he admitted that he lied, but then said it wasn't such a bad thing to mislead the ABC and through it the Australian public. Tony Abbott has lied to the Australian public about bankrolling witnesses. This Government lies and then denies – that's its form – lies and then denies. And it's only later when documentary evidence is produced that it then fesses up. And then it says, `well that's fair enough, lying to the Australian people'. Well it is not fair enough to lie to the Australian people. John Howard has lied to the Australian people over his meeting with Dick Honan and now his attack dog, Tony Abbott, has lied to the Australian people pretending that he did not offer funding for witnesses for the prosecution of Pauline Hanson. When in fact he later admitted it but only when documentary proof was tended.

JOURNALIST: Do you think Tony Abbott needs to provide some answers?

EMERSON: Tony Abbott and John Howard must explain. Pauline Hanson was often saying, `please explain', well, Tony Abbott must explain his actions and John Howard must explain how he is now hypocritically expressing sympathy for Pauline Hanson when his attack dog, Tony Abbott, went to Queensland to bankroll and organise the prosecution of Pauline Hanson.

JOURNALIST: Peter Costello says this is all a part of politics?

EMERSON: Well I have heard Peter Costello on radio and Peter Costello didn't express a view about the sentence that Pauline Hanson was given. But John Howard did. John Howard said it was too harsh, John Howard said it was unfair. But here is the Prime Minister say, `unfair', after his attack dog, Tony Abbott went to organise the prosecution and to bankroll it. The Australian people deserve to know where the money came from. The Australian people deserve to know what John Howard knew about Tony Abbott going to Queensland. It defies belief that Tony Abbott spent such a long time in Queensland offering witnesses who had testified against Pauline Hanson and then say that he didn't tell the Prime Minister. Here we go again, truth overboard. Again and again, the Prime Minister saying that he didn't know anything because no one told him. Well let's put those questions direct to the Prime Minister and let's have the Prime Minister explain his involvement in the prosecution of Pauline Hanson. Because certainly, his attack dog, Tony Abbott was directly involved in the prosecution of Pauline Hanson and bankrolling witnesses who were prepared to testify against her.

JOURNALIST: Can I ask you specifically - can you comment on the claims this morning by Andrew Carney, the former One Nation convenor, that Tony Abbott came to John Pasquarelli's house and offered him a bribe for work?

EMERSON: Such allegations would need to be properly investigated. If there is a claim of bribery against a Minister of the crown then it is a matter for the course of the law for him to be investigated. Those claims should be investigated. Tony Abbott has lied about his involvement in the past. He needs to make a public statement and not hide behind claims that there is now an appeal that he will be involved in. Tony Abbott is in this up to his ears. He has lied to the Australian people about his involvement and it is only when his lies were exposed by documentary proof did he fess up. This is typical of this Government it lies and denies. Tony Abbott and John Howard need to explain.

End. E & OE - PROOF ONLY