Pot kettle black? Leaks, backgrounding and briefings backfire for the government

There’s been another leak from the Coalition, with details of an inquiry into former education and youth minister Alan Tudge’s relationship with former staffer Rachelle Miller shared with the media. 

Details of the report, divulged to Network 10’s political editor Peter van Onselen, reportedly recommended Tudge be sacked — not because of allegations raised by Miller that Tudge was “emotionally abusive and on one occasion physically abusive” but because he sought to promote Miller from media adviser to senior adviser while in an undisclosed relationship. 

Tudge denies the relationship was abusive and stood aside in December when the inquiry was announced. 

There’s also a growing backlash against backgrounding women who have been vocal in their complaints about parliamentary members.

‘Pathological’ backgrounding

Vivienne Thom’s report into Tudge has been the centre of attention at Senate estimates this week. It was revealed on Monday that the report was “hand delivered” to Prime Minister Scott Morrison on January 28 due to its sensitive nature, but no action has been taken.

Deputy secretary in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Stephanie Foster said she intended to release the report, but didn’t provide a time frame. 

Labor Senator Katy Gallagher asked Finance Minister Simon Birmingham about the leak yesterday, asking how a document “so sensitive” it had to be hand delivered could make its way into the media. 

“[The government] is dysfunctional. You’re having leak after leak,” she said. 

“There’s been backgrounding around Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins and now Rachelle Miller … There’s a history of pathological backgrounding around women who make complaints about men in this building.”

Birmingham said he hadn’t seen the report and refused to say whether Tudge would be sacked. The government refused to tell Miller whether she would receive a complete copy of the report. 

The fact that Miller still hasn’t seen the report relating directly to her relationship and her allegations — and has no idea whether she ever will — while details of it are being leaked to journalists is galling. Gallagher called for Miller to be provided with a copy of the report before the Channel 10 segment aired. 

Miller declined to participate in the inquiry, saying the government had not listened to her concerns, wouldn’t negotiate the terms of reference, and wouldn’t investigate specific allegations. 

“The sanitisation of the inquiry … all but guarantees the government the positive view of history … which suits its agenda, its view of the world and its immediate positive interests,” she said in a statement. “It smacks of a political fix.”

The report cost $80,000 to produce.

Inquiries could backfire 

Birmingham also faced questions earlier this week about leaked text messages between Morrison and French President Emmanuel Macron; Gallagher said “either the prime minister took the extraordinary step to leak a text message with another world leader or more concerningly the PM’s phone was hacked”. 

No investigation into the leak will be conducted. 

Then there was the leak into a cabinet meeting last week over the religious discrimination bill; leaks into text messages from Barnaby Joyce to Higgins saying Joyce didn’t trust the PM; more leaked texts from an unnamed Liberal MP to former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian allegedly calling Morrison a “psycho”; leaks of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) legislation; a leak of a private address to 400 staffers last year… The list goes on. 

Meanwhile, the prime minister’s office allegedly backgrounded journalists against Higgins’ partner David Sharaz (though the internal report cleared staff) and against former Liberal MP Julia Banks.

The PMO also frequently calls people it believes is damaging the PM’s reputation, ranging from writer and executive director of not-for-profit the Parenthood Georgie Dent following criticisms of the 2020 budget, to gender equality and youth advocate Yasmin Poole, who was forced to write an apology after the PM used a visit with advocates for good press, to journalist Neil McMahon over recaps of Q+A.

Of course, we don’t know whether the recent leaks were orchestrated or even whether some came from the Coalition. But what we do know is the government doesn’t want to investigate them — avoiding opening up a can of worms regarding the constant drops from within cabinet.

It seems the government can dish it out, but can’t take it.