FED: Turnbull must release all Grech correspondence: Emerson
Wed Aug 5 00:45:10 EST 2009
Subject: [Fwd: FED: Turnbull must release all Grech correspondence: Emerson] name="FED: Turnbull must release all Grech correspondence: Emerson.eml" filename*0="FED: Turnbull must release all Grech correspondence: Emerson"; Subject: FED: Turnbull must release all Grech correspondence: Emerson FED: Turnbull must release all Grech correspondence: Emerson
CANBERRA, Aug 4 AAP - Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull must release all correspondence between himself and treasury official Godwin Grech so the Australian people can judge the nature of their relationship, federal minister Craig Emerson says.
Mr Turnbull on Tuesday released an email from Mr Grech showing the treasury official charged with managing the government's OzCar scheme was keen to arrange a meeting.
That meeting took place on June 12, less than a week before a crucial Senate inquiry into the Ozcar scheme.
Mr Turnbull says the treasury official wasn't pressured into giving evidence at the inquiry but rather volunteered two lists of questions that Liberal senator Eric Abetz should ask.
However, Dr Emerson isn't buying that explanation.
He wants Mr Turnbull to release all the correspondence he had with Mr Grech rather than just an edited selection.
"He (Mr Turnbull) now needs to release any and all communications and documents exchanged between himself, his office and Godwin Grech leading up to the Friday Senate hearing (on June 19)," Dr Emerson told ABC TV.
"All along Malcolm Turnbull had been working hand in glove with Godwin Grech in coaching and getting the evidence together.
"He collaborated with Mr Grech, he created the impression that the evidence ... was spontaneous ... but he was involved with Mr Grech in working out the questions that would be asked and the answers that would be given."
Dr Emerson said the opposition leader's credibility was "smashed" because he'd deliberately misled the Australian people by engaging in a "sham Senate inquiry".
Mr Turnbull should release all the relevant documents in the name of "decency".
The Clerk of the Senate, Harry Evans, has suggested that rehearsing or scripting evidence to be given by a witness could be treated as contempt.
Dr Emerson says if a Senate privileges committee is convened and it finds there has been contempt, Senator Abetz would be in the direct line of fire.
But he says Mr Turnbull would also be in trouble because he encouraged the "exchanges of scripts".
"When you completely abuse those processes by working on a script with a public servant you know you're misleading the Senate."
AAP jcd/jl=0A
FED: Turnbull must release all Grech correspondence: Emerson