E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA
MONDAY, 24 AUGUST 2020

SUBJECTS: Michael Sukkar and Victorian Liberal Branch stacking; HomeBlunder and the scandal ridden Early Access Super Scheme.

STEPHEN JONES MP, SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER: Well, we know what Scott Morrison thinks of branch stacking. In June this year he had a very clear view, he called it corruption. Scott Morrison should move to sack Michael Sukkar today. He's been caught red-handed using taxpayers money for no other purpose than Liberal Party branch stacking. When the rest of Australia has been fighting hard to save their jobs, it's clear that Michael Sukkar has been out there putting together a plan to execute his own colleagues. The Prime Minister should show leadership. This is a test of his integrity and his leadership. He should move today to sack Michael Sukkar. When allegations arose in Victoria earlier this year Anthony Albanese immediately moved to put in place Jenny Macklin and Steve Bracks to clean out the Victorian Branch. Dan Andrews sacked the offending ministers. Scott Morrison needs to live by his own standards. This is what leadership looks like. Scott Morrison should sack Michael Sukkar today. Michael Sukkar is not just any minister, he is the minister responsible for the ATO and for HomeBuilder. Now, the ATO has had problem after problem after problem in the administration of the super early access scheme, the scheme that has been subject to rorting, to fraud. Michael Sukkar has been overseeing all of this and clearly he's been to too distracted with internal Liberal Party powerbroking, clearly he has been too distracted with internal Liberal Party branch stacking to oversee the obvious problems in his own scheme. The Prime Minister needs to move today. The Prime Minister needs to sack Michael Sukkar. This is a test of his leadership.

JOURNALIST: Sukkar rejects the allegations though, what’s the difference with Somyurek in the same sort of position?

JONES: Michael Sukkar has been caught red-handed. He has been caught red-handed. He is clearly the architect of this scheme. He signed off on it. He signed off on it. The evidence is clear that he signed off on it and corruption busting lawyers have called this a criminal enterprise. Michael Sukkar should do the right thing and resign, the Prime Minister should do the right thing and sack him if he doesn't.

ENDS