This week the audit committee dropped a bomb on the former Coalition minister Stuart Robert, releasing a witness statement alleging that lobbying firm Synergy 360 proposed a structure designed to allow the retired Fadden MP to benefit from government contracts.
Robert immediately rejected the allegation “in the strongest possible terms” and said there was “no evidence” for the claim made under parliamentary privilege. But the government services minister, Bill Shorten, labelled the claims “serious allegations” and asked Services Australia to “advise what the next appropriate avenues are”.
This will include consideration of a potential referral to the national anti-corruption commission (Nacc) which formally comes into existence from Saturday.
At a press conference in Canberra, Shorten was asked if the timing of the audit committee publishing a statement from Anthony Daly – who is the former personal and business partner of the Synergy 360 former executive director Kham Xaysavanh – was a “pure coincidence”, coming two weeks ahead of the Fadden byelection on 15 July.
Shorten replied: “Nobody asked Mr Robert to resign, the timing of the byelection is purely and utterly in Mr Robert’s hands. No one asked him to ride out of town, to unexpectedly resign.”
There are some distinct readings available here, including: this is a Labor get-square with a former minister who has done nothing wrong, as Robert claims; or the government and the audit committee are hot on the trail of alleged misconduct, which encouraged Robert to pull the pin midterm.
And how’s this for timing? Those getting their diaries out to take a squiz at what else might happen between now and the byelection will note the robodebt royal commission is due to report on 7 July, after the attorney general granted it a one-week extension that would allow it to make referrals to the Nacc.
We do not know whether there will be adverse findings against Robert in the report, let alone a referral, but we can safely say if there were, there would be ample time for Labor to bring them to the attention of the electors of Fadden.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, launched Labor candidate Letitia Del Fabbro’s campaign on Tuesday with a speech making a strong contrast between her integrity and the outgoing member.
“After all, let’s remember why we are having this byelection,” he said. “Stuart Robert is resigning from parliament having presided over one of the most shocking and cruel failures in the history of Australian politics: robodebt.”
At the royal commission Robert admitted defending the program despite his personal misgivings, while the government sought legal advice. Robert denied any wrongdoing in the administration of the program.
Albanese then claimed: “Stuart Robert spent his time in parliament serving himself. Letitia Del Fabbro is running to serve her community. Stuart Robert personified all the worst qualities of Scott Morrison’s government. Letitia Del Fabbro exemplifies the very best of the Australian character.”
Again, we must note that Robert has said that “at no time” has he ever been paid for advice on winning contracts and “at no time did [he] lobby to assist any firm” do so.
“I note that every contract has been investigated fully by the Watt review [into procurement at Services Australia and the National Disability Insurance Agency] and no misconduct was found,” he said.
Robert has issued such denials before – but it didn’t deter Albanese from going on the attack. Shorten said it would be up to voters to ask themselves: “Is this a byelection just to deal with a controversy?”.
While Labor framed the contest as a judgment on Robert’s record, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has urged voters in Fadden to “send a message” to the government on the Indigenous voice referendum.
With support for the voice flagging in opinion polls, and Queensland the worst state for the yes side, it makes sense for Dutton to cling to this as the best chance to avoid a repeat of the once-in-a-century loss of an opposition seat to the government at a byelection in Aston.
The Liberal-National party starts with a healthy 10.6% two-party margin, so the status quo is by far the more likely result.
More than anything, voters nationwide seem to be a tad peeved, with Guardian’s Essential Poll this week recording a big jump in those saying the country is on the wrong track.
There was some good news this week with the inflation rate falling to 5.6%, reinforcing hopes in Labor that by the time of the next election the Reserve Bank will be slashing, not continuing to hike, interest rates.
The Albanese government points to its cost of living relief measures on medicines, electricity prices and cheaper childcare.
Still, it’s a tough environment for a government to expand its majority (again), with so much discontent about 12 interest rate rises in a row.
That’s why Labor has opted to put a focus on Robert, hoping that angry voters remember why they are being forced back to the polls, and aiming to present the alleged middle-man as the villain of the piece.
It may be months before we learn who or what the secretive Nacc will investigate first. The Greens this week released an ambitious list of Top 10 issues it plans to refer to the Nacc, including the Synergy 360 contracts, sports rorts, PwC, and the Leppington Triangle deal, among others.
But Labor will put Robert’s record on trial long before the Nacc decides whether to act.
