Senator Henderson: Peta, Jacinta is a very good friend of mine. I sit next to her in the parliament, and that was the most incredible speech I have ever heard in the parliament. It was so gruelling to hear what she had to say, and such anguish at the way that she spoke about the need to speak with truth and honesty about the dysfunction and the abuse and the horrific levels of violence and alcoholism in many of these communities, in Aboriginal communities. It was so gut-wrenching and all I can say is that I hope that our colleagues on the other side of the chamber will act. Not just continue to drive their ideological obsession. As she says, this is not about culture first and foremost. Yes, culture is important, but number one is the safety of children. Number one is protecting children’s safety and wellbeing and making sure that we can give them the best opportunities in life.
I have to say, I was disgusted by some of the Labor senators on the other side of the chamber. When they spoke on the condolence motion, they talked about this little child’s family and they did not even acknowledge Jacinta in the chamber. She’s an Aunt, and I am so disgusted by the likes of Senator Stewart, and Thorpe, and Cox, all Aboriginal women who spoke about this and never even acknowledged Jacinta. All I can say, Peta, is I know and I trust that we are so motivated, we are so angry. We need inquiry, we need accountability, and we need to ensure that every child is safe in an Aboriginal community.
Peta Credlin: Beautifully said. As I said, I’ll speak to Senator Price a little later. Let’s go now to that travel scandal. It’s still dogging the Communications Minister, Anika Wells. You’ve accused her of secrecy and entitlement after more questions emerged about whether a birthday party that she went to constituted official ministerial business. Now she claims it does because, in the margins of that friend’s 40th birthday party, she says she spoke to a South Australian state minister. She later then said that that was justification to stay overnight on the taxpayer because of this discussion. What I don’t know, over the sausage rolls or beside the DJ, how this was somehow an official meeting. Now she’s really come unstuck here, though, because that South Australian state MP, who allegedly was a part of this birthday meeting, well he is refusing to corroborate her story. Surely, Sarah Henderson, she can’t survive now.
Senator Henderson: She cannot survive. The Prime Minister, Peta, must stand down Anika Wells. It is clear she has not told the truth to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority. She told IPEA she had an official ministerial meeting. She then changed her tune and said it was later in the evening at an event. We know that event was a birthday party. It was the birthday party of the South Australian minister’s wife. It defies belief that she went along and suddenly, on the sidelines, held an official meeting, and the South Australian Defence Minister, Chris Picton, has effectively thrown her under the bus. He won’t corroborate her version of events. He did say belatedly that they met but the Adelaide Advertiser reported this as an informal chat. This does not cut the mustard. This is a rort. She is not entitled to claim to go away for a weekend to a friend’s birthday party, and the Prime Minister must investigate. He has no option, Peta, but to stand down this hapless minister. Just days ago, he was defending her over four separate breaches of her travel entitlements. Well, this is beyond the pale. The Prime Minister must act or he is complicit in this really sordid affair.
Peta Credlin: Yeah, I’m just looking at footage I’ve got running of her on the screen, Sarah Henderson, she loves a bit of Scanlan Theodore, so do I – that’s a clothing label – except I pay for mine out of my own pocket. I noticed some of the clothes that she wears are close to, you know, $1,000 for a dress, yet a hotel room in Adelaide might cost her three or four hundred dollars? Why can’t she pay for that out of her own pocket? I mean, she earns close to $400,000 a year. Why can’t she just pay for her own hotel room?
Senator Henderson: Well, I just don’t know. Of course, she took business class return flights from Brisbane to Adelaide and back again on that weekend. Belatedly, the minister’s office last night was briefing out that she actually paid for her accommodation on the Saturday night. Well, to me, that implicates her. She obviously felt guilty in claiming for the accommodation, but she was very happy on the taxpayers’ purse to fly back business class the next day. So, it’s very clear to me that she has not told the truth to IPEA. She has rorted her travel entitlements and frankly, Australians have had enough. This Prime Minister promised accountability, he promised transparency, he promised he would act in the best interests of Australians, and if he does not act on this and stand her down, then he is absolutely implicated in this, as I say, sordid affair.
Peta Credlin: This entitlements body, Sarah, it’s a crock. I mean, it’s a toothless tiger, obviously.
Senator Henderson: Well they did investigate this and they actually asked further questions of the minister. They asked her when her parliamentary business finished on that evening, and she answered it finished at 7:45pm after she’d concluded meeting with the minister – it defies belief. It doesn’t stack up, she was at a boozy birthday party, Peta. She was at the birthday party of the minister’s wife. They were all blowing out the candles, she’s blowing up her credibility. I don’t blame IPEA if she’s not told IPEA the truth, but now she’s been caught out because Chris Picton won’t back her story she told parliament today. And I will just have a quick look at this because I think she’s very close to misleading parliament. She certainly hoodwinked the parliament when she said that. I also note Minister Picton has confirmed that series of events in a series of media outlets. No, he hasn’t. That’s completely false. He simply said he met her that night. Alright, thanks very much, Peta.
Peta Credlin: Let’s leave it there, Sarah, but you will pursue it and I’ll keep watching it and playing it out here on Sky. Thank you very much.