The Albanese government has faced a tense grilling over a 'dirt file' circulated from the Prime Minister's office to journalists about federal MP Helen Haines.
Anthony Albanese has come under fire this week after the Daily Mail revealed his office shared the material shortly after Haines criticised a $6million grant awarded to Marrickville Golf Club in Sydney's inner west.
The file, which bore the name of the Prime Minister's deputy director of communications, did not allege any wrongdoing but catalogued funding requests made by Haines for projects in her regional Victorian electorate and suggested lines of inquiry for reporters.
On Thursday, during a Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee hearing, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's first assistant secretary, Pauline Sullivan, faced questions about the document.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie raised the Daily Mail's reporting and asked Ms Sullivan: 'Are you aware of this document?' to which she said no.
'It's been reported that metadata shows the dirt sheet was written in a Word document on the Prime Minister and Cabinet IT system,' McKenzie said.
'Can you confirm that no officer of the department has had a hand in creating and in checking, in verifying or in otherwise contributing to this document?'
Ms Sullivan said: 'This is the first time I'm hearing anything about metadata involving the department, so I'm not in a position to confirm or deny anything.'
Anthony Albanese has come under fire after the Daily Mail revealed his office shared a 'dirt file' shortly after federal MP Helen Haines criticised a $6million grant to Marrickville Golf Club
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie raised the document during a Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee hearing, asking whether it breached the code of conduct
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's first assistant secretary, Pauline Sullivan, told McKenzie she was unaware of the document
McKenzie pressed Ms Sullivan to take the matter on notice, to which the secretary replied: 'Certainly.'
'If an official of the department had been involved in creating or reviewing such a dirt sheet document, would that represent a breach of the [Australian Public Service, APS] values and the APS code of conduct?' the senator added.
'Senator, it's not for me to comment on that at this stage,' Ms Sullivan said.
When asked if she had ever had to assess any staff against the code of conduct, Ms Sullivan said she had not.
'But you would be okay with them doing that, constructing dirt files on politicians?' McKenzie said.
Ms Sullivan pointed to the fact the senator was asking for an opinion, which McKenzie confirmed.
'As I said, this is the first I have heard of it. I'm not sure; you're relying on a media report. I have no knowledge,' Ms Sullivan said.
'I haven't even seen the media report, so I'm not going to start speculating on something such as this without any information in front of me whatsoever.'
Dr Haines was rushed to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital in a critical condition and underwent the amputation of both her legs following injuries she suffered in an alleged attack on Monday afternoon. She is now in a serious but stable condition
McKenzie said Ms Sullivan should 'take that on notice', adding that she would be following up with the Prime Minister's office and Cabinet next week.
Albanese rejected suggestions the file was a personal attack earlier this week when questioned on the origins of the document.
'It's a list of funding from Helen Haines, just showing that people of integrity stand up for their electorate,' he said.
Dr Haines was rushed to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital in a critical condition and underwent the amputation of both her legs following injuries she suffered in an alleged attack on Monday afternoon.
On Saturday morning, it was confirmed her recovery was progressing and, while still in hospital, she was in a serious but stable condition.
Brendan Nugent, 43, is accused of deliberately striking her with his four-wheel drive outside Haines' electorate office in Wangaratta, about three hours north-east of Melbourne.
Nugent, who neighbours have said lived alone on a remote property in nearby Tarrawingee, appeared briefly in court on Wednesday, where he was charged with offences including dangerous driving causing serious harm.
His lawyer Chirag Patel told the court Nugent had not previously been diagnosed with any mental health issues, but he was concerned for his client's psychological wellbeing and wanted him assessed.
He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to face court again in February.
Source link
