Angus Taylor continues to come under heavy criticism following the NSW police investigation into document discrepancies from September.
The controversy began when Mr Taylor accused Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, of spending more than $15 million on travel in a letter to her office, and story in the Daily Telegraph in September.
The figures in the copy of the council’s annual spending report that Mr Taylor’s office sent to the Daily Telegraph were revealed to be significantly higher than the council’s actual report.
Mr Taylor claimed that the document he provided to the Telegraph was downloaded directly from the council’s website, which the council later responded to by providing evidence that the document had not been altered since it was uploaded.
NSW police are currently investigating claims that Mr Taylor’s office falsified the documents.
“This is a bloke who’s used doctored documents, false information, and admitted that they were false, on ministerial correspondence, to attack the Lord Mayor of Sydney,” Penny Wong told ABC’s Insiders.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has since declared that he will not take action on the Energy Minister, stating the police “should be left to their inquiries”.
The decision has brought the Prime Minister under fire from Federal Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese, who said, “Last week, Scott Morrison left the Parliament with his credibility and his integrity in tatters.”
Greens leader, Senator Richard Di Natale, said, “It’s appalling that the Prime Minister has allowed one of his ministers to sit on the front bench while under active police investigation.
“If the Prime Minister was serious about improving faith in his government he would suspend Angus Taylor until this NSW Police investigation is complete.”
Labor shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, who made the initial police investigation request, suggested that Taylor’s office may have raised several offences under section 253, section 254 and section 316 of the NSW Crimes Act.
