MARK DREYFUS 
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM 
MEMBER FOR ISAACS 
 
 MADELEINE KING MP 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE AND RESOURCES 
MEMBER FOR BRAND 

 
MORRISON ‘REARRANGES TRUTH TO A LIE’ ON SUPPORT FOR CLIVE PALMER’S WA BORDER CHALLENGE

Scott Morrison’s claim in Question Time that his support for Clive Palmer’s challenge to Western Australia’s borders was ‘normal convention’ is yet another example of Barnaby Joyce’s observation ‘how earnestly he rearranges the truth to a lie’. 

The facts are that during the entire time Christian Porter was Attorney-General he intervened in just 31 constitutional proceedings out of a total of 653. 

This is fewer than five per cent of constitutional cases. Mr Palmer’s border challenge was one of them.  

Christian Porter and Scott Morrison chose to intervene on Clive Palmer’s side.  

Christian Porter and Scott Morrison chose to throw the full weight of the Commonwealth behind Clive Palmer’s failed challenge to Western Australia’s public health measures. 

This disastrous intervention to support Clive Palmer’s attack on Western Australia and Queensland’s COVID-19 border restrictions cost taxpayers over $1 million.  

Appallingly, this included the Morrison Government slipping over $40,000 of public money directly into Clive Palmer’s already-bulging pockets.   

It was only in the face of a massive public backlash from Western Australians - in particular Premier Mark McGowan - that Scott Morrison backed out of the challenge. But the damage was already done, which is why Clive Palmer publicly thanked Mr Morrison for helping his challenge. 

The people of WA will not forget this. 

MONDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2022