Michaelia Cash’s former chief of staff Ben Davies told her then media adviser, David De Garis, that federal police were set to raid the Australian Workers Union’s offices, the federal court has heard.
De Garis was ordered on Tuesday to give evidence about his decision to tip off the media about the dramatic raids in October 2017, after Justice Mordecai Bromberg rejected his request to refuse to answer to avoid self-incrimination.
Asked who had told him, De Garis told the court: “Chief of staff Ben Davies.” Davies is Cash’s former chief of staff and is also scheduled to give evidence this week.
De Garis said Davies had asked him to come to his office and had told him in person that the raids would take place later that afternoon.
He said could not remember any details beyond that.
The AWU’s lawyer, Herman Borenstein QC, questioned De Garis’ evidence, saying he was “loth to do this” before asking Bromberg whether he could ask leading questions.
“You have not been loth to do this but I’m happy to,” De Garis replied, before he was asked to leave the courtroom briefly.
“There is a real question about whether he’s trying to answer the questions truly and frankly … or hiding behind a mantra of not being able to recall,” Borenstein said.
But Bromberg said he was “not satisfied the witness is not making a genuine attempt”.
The Greens, making fetch happen at the Adani protest this morning, as seen by Mike Bowers.
Western Australian Greens senator Jordon Steele-John at a Stop Adani Mine protest out the front of Parliament House this morning. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Tasmanian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson with his ‘Make Coral Great Again’ hat. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
“Unless you’ve actually got a specified figure, you don’t improve the situation, you potentially make it worse,” Richard Di Natale says of the lack of a time figure on the timing of the ministerial approval or rejection.
Basically, the Greens want an absolute watertight timeframe put on how long the minister can take to approve or reject a transfer request. The legislation at the moment says 24 hours. The government argued that was not enough time. Labor proposed amending it to something along the lines of as soon as is practical. The Greens say that will just allow the government to delay dealing with transfers as long as they want.
“If you need urgent medical care, you don’t need to go to court, you need a doctor. And urgently,” Di Natale said.
The Greens leader said the party is “open to a conversation” but they believe the three amendments just “make it harder” for people to get medical treatment.
Richard Di Natale says the Greens won’t support any amendment which means it takes longer for asylum seekers and refugees to get medical treatment.
“The amendments that have been put forward by the Labor party, at the moment, potentially make the situation worse than doing nothing,” he tells Sky News, saying that is what he has been told from the refugee sector and those who have followed these cases through the courts.
Tony Burke had a chat to ABC Adelaide radio this morning. The transcript reports this exchange:
BEVAN: Now your opposite number is Christopher Pyne from South Australia. He’s the manager of government business. We learned yesterday that he saw Malcolm Turnbull as his “Aslan”. Do you see Bill Shorten as your “Aslan”?
CLARKE: And for those playing along at home Aslan of course is?
BEVAN: The lion, from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Do you dreamy-eyed look across at Bill Shorten saying, you’re my Aslan?
BURKE: I’ve got to say it does fall short of that. I loved those CS Lewis books as a kid. I read them all. Every single one of them. But of course Aslan is there is a bit of a “Christ figure” and I don’t think any member of parliament quite fits that bill.
CLARKE: So is Bill Shorten your luck dragon maybe?
BURKE: Bill’s the leader of the party and I really, really hope that we get a Shorten Labor government soon.
The PMO has released the transcript of Scott Morrison’s doorstop this morning:
JOURNALIST: Prime minister, if you lose the medevac bill today, why should you not drive to Government House and call an election?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s not a matter [inaudible], that’s why. I mean, the independents have said that themselves. So I think they’ve answered their own question. That matter will be determined I assume later in the parliament today. I have made it pretty clear that the bill is acceptable in no form. We will not be giving any comfort or any licence for the parliament to support this in any way, shape or form.
JOURNALIST: Will you allow it to come on for a debate today though?
PRIME MINISTER: It does come on for a debate today, that’s the process.
JOURNALIST: So you will consider absolutely no Labor amendments to this bill whatsoever?
PRIME MINISTER: This bill is acceptable in absolutely no form. It only weakens our borders, it does not strengthen them. I will not give a leave pass to this parliament to weaken our borders. Thanks very much.
You may remember from Luke’s report yesterday, that David de Garis declined to answer how he found out about the AWU raid. Looks like shiz is about to get reeeal interesting in the federal court.
Justice Bromberg has ruled Michaelia Cash's former media adviser David De Garis will have to give evidence about who tipped him off that federal police were set to raid the AWU's offices. #auspol
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