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Coalition MPs say Scott Morrison’s political future is up to him after the former prime minister dug in over his role in the illegal robo-debt scheme in response to the royal commission’s findings.
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said he was apologetic for the suicides that occurred after vulnerable people received Centrelink debt notices generated from the scheme, while Liberal senator James Paterson said commissioner Catherine Holmes SC’s report was sobering for the former government, of which he was part.
Former prime minister Scott Morrison issued a lengthy defence of his role in robo-debt on Friday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
But he didn’t weigh into the comments of outspoken Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer, who said it was difficult for the party to move on after Morrison issued a lengthy statement rejecting all adverse findings against him.
“What he does and says is a matter for him … we have apologised for what has happened to the victims of robo-debt, we’re very determined it doesn’t happen again,” Paterson said in an interview with ABC’s RN Breakfast.
“Neither me, nor any of my other colleagues are in a position to direct Scott Morrison how he responds to this report.”
Joyce told Seven’s Sunrise program on Monday morning that he didn’t like telling other politicians to leave politics. “That’s their decision,” he said.
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce says he is apologetic over the suicides that occurred due to robo-debt.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“I just think, first of all, it has a whiff of not being earnest about it. It’s a decision best made by the person themselves, as to what they want to do with their career, not for other people.”
Holmes found Morrison, who took the initial proposal to cabinet as social services minister in 2015, had allowed cabinet to be misled over the scheme’s legality and gave untrue evidence to the commission.
In a statement issued on Friday after the release of the 990-page report, Morrison said: “I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me”.
Joyce said he wasn’t appearing on television to speak for Morrison, “but absolutely there are people who died”.
“They committed suicide affected by this, absolutely I apologise to them. Absolutely we must make sure we do the right thing,” he said.
Paterson told the ABC the party would have to study the report and its recommendations, but disagreed that Morrison’s stance would make it difficult for the Liberals to move forward.
“No … I don’t think so because the Liberal Party is now led by Peter Dutton. He’s been very clear from the get-go that we’re taking this matter seriously,” he said.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said the royal commission findings would have been humiliating for Morrison, but said his future was up to him.
“It’s up to Mr Morrison, he must live in a separate world to the rest of us. If he wants to stay and protest his innocence, that’s up to him,” Shorten told ABC’s AM program on Monday morning.
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