Sunrise host Natalie Barr has probed Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume over whether Peter Dutton’s share-dealing during the global financial crisis was “suss”, prompting an extraordinary slanging match on live television.
Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt was dubbed “King Grub” during the breakfast television melee by Shadow Finance Minister Senator Jane Hume.
As the Prime Minister prepares to call an election, a forensic analysis of Mr Dutton’s declarations to parliament revealed this week he notified parliament of a
share-buying blitz involving the big banks the day before Labor announced a $4 billion bank plan in 2009.
But Mr Dutton has
slammed the claims as muckraking accusing Labor’s “dirt unit” of trawling his financial records to create controversy.
“Go back to 2008, 2009. Peter Dutton hasn’t bought shares, apparently according to the records for three years,” host Nat Barr said.
“Then he advised he bought shares in three big banks at a very low price and bang, Bob’s your uncle. The Government does a big bailout and the shares spike.
“Then he sells at a very high price. Can you say that is not suss?”
In response, Senator Hume said Mr Dutton was in the opposition at the time, not in government and “of course, he wasn’t briefed” by Labor ahead of the announcement.
“This is a smear campaign from a desperate government that have run out of ideas and think they are going to lose the election,” she said.
“So they’ve made these accusations under they’ve made these accusations under the shroud of parliamentary privilege from Senate estimates, because they’ve run out of ideas.
“They’ve run out of excuses. They’ve run out of time. They are the grubbiest people. Murray you are the King Grub!”
News.com.au revealed on Tuesday that a forensic analysis of Mr Dutton’s declarations to parliament reveals he notified parliament of a share-buying blitz involving the big banks the day before Labor announced a bailout in 2009.
During campaigning in Sydney, Mr Albanese was asked if the Labor Party was seriously suggesting that the Liberal leader engaged in insider trading.
“That’s a matter for Peter Dutton to explain,” the Prime Minister replied.
But Mr Dutton slammed the allegations via a spokesperson as muckraking accusing Labor’s “dirt unit” of trawling his financial records to create controversy.
“If the Albanese Government’s dirt unit spent more time being focused on fixing Labor’s cost of living crisis rather than obsessing about Peter Dutton, Australians might be better off,” a spokesman said.
“Mr Dutton had no access to any sensitive information on these matters, nor was he privy to government briefing on the GFC.”
Between October 2008 and March 2009, Dutton updated his register of interest 13 times to indicate that he had either bought or sold shares.
Asked if shadow cabinet informed of that bailout that the government was about to make, Senator Hume said she wasn’t there and didn’t know but it “doesn’t sound like the sort of thing that the government would do to an opposition”.
“I tell you who wouldn’t know, Anthony Albanese, he has been playing cricket and sending out his minions to do this grubby dirty work. They’re smearing a man of integrity. They won’t do it in public they know it would be defamatory,” she said.
Barr then asked if she had asked Mr Dutton directly.
“Your leader is in the spotlight today. Don’t tell me that you guys haven’t talked about this overnight. Was shadow Cabinet informed about the bailout about to happen?”
“I can’t tell you that. I don’t know I wasn’t in government at the time. I can assure you that Peter Dutton has done nothing improper here. Nothing improper,” she replied.
Labor frontbencher Murray Watt said there are some “really simple answers, simple questions for Peter to answer that he still hasn’t”.
“How many shares did he trade?” he asked.
“Miraculously the day before the government of the time bailed out the banks. How much profit did he make on those share trades?
“Most importantly was he aware that the government was about to bailout the banks when he made the share trades.
“He put out a tricky, vague statement yesterday.
“This is suss, Nat.
“These are legitimate questions asking about someone who wants to be the Prime Minister of Australia.
“We’ve seen another story break today about the $30 million dollars of property buying and selling that Peter Dutton has been engaged in whilst in parliament.
“Maybe that’s why he doesn’t understand the cost of living pressures that people are under. Maybe that’s why.”
Barr then interjected that, “I don’t know if there’s anything wrong with people buying and selling houses. He’s declared most of them” prompting Mr Watt to observe he was late to declaring some properties.
“Keep mentioning his name, Murray, every time our do our vote goes up. You’re disgusting,” Senator Hume interjected.
www.smh.com.au
