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In what can only be described as one of the most flagrant disregards of public trust, the Morrison government has voted down the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry into Christian Porter’s use of funds donated by a blind trust to cover his legal costs associated with suing the ABC.
This development in the curious case of Paid Leave Porter has only thrown fuel onto the roaring binfire that is the catastrophic fall from grace for an MP that was once tipped as the next Liberal Prime Minister.
Both the Government and Porter have fought tooth and nail to not have an inquiry into the ‘blind trust’ that had been paying his legal defence against the public broadcaster, which makes this whole thing a whole lot more interesting.
The former Attorney-General had already dropped all legal proceedings – well before it even became clear that an unknown third party had been paying for his high-stakes defamation case against the ABC, which he launched in March following a Four Corners report that aired allegations that a cabinet minister had been accused of raping a woman in the 1980s.
When Porter subsequently identified himself as the cabinet minister referred to, he strenuously denied the allegations, and went on a leave of absence to focus on himself, while also maintaining the position as the highest legal officer of the land.
It wasn’t these allegations, or the lack of investigation in the allegations, that eventually saw him standing down from the role of Attorney-General – but in fact, his refusal to name the shadowy figure/s that had tipped over a million dollars into his court case.
It seems that as a federal politician in Australia, Porter knows there is no obligation for him to show any transparency towards the money that gets gifted to him by complete strangers, and is simply refusing to give any answers.
But it doesn’t stop with legal fees.
At a Belconnen servo in North Canberra this afternoon, it seems that Christian Porter has gone and done it again.
Speaking to The Betoota Advocate after filling up his Toyota Prado with a full tank of E10, the Member For Pearce refused to name the shadowy figure who had stepped in to pay his bill at the counter of the service station.
“That’s none of your business” spat a frustrated Porter.
“It doesn’t matter that my cost of living is completely subsidised by nameless strangers who may or may not have vested interests in keeping me in Parliament!”
“That shadowy figure is more than welcome to pay my bill at this servo, just as I am more than allowed to never tell you who he is or what country he comes from!”
“It might not even be a he”
The Betoota Advocate ended the interview by assuring Christian Porter that we are certain there is not one woman in the land who would step in to help make his life any easier at this point.
