THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP

SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC NEWSRADIO
MONDAY, 8 SEPTEMBER 201
SUBJECT/S: James Ashby allegations.
MARIUS BENSON! Mark Dreyfus, this appears to be a case of he says, he
says. On the one hand James Ashby says that Christopher Pyne ofered
me inducements to go public ith claims, on the other hand the !ducation
Minister says no such thing took place. "o do you resol#e that$
MARK DREYFUS, SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL! % think it is clear
from &' Minutes that (iberal MPs kne a lot more about Mr Ashby than
they ha#e admitted to, they ha#e ne#er been forthcoming. % think Mr
Abbott needs to come clean about his on in#ol#ement in hat he kne,
and in particular Christopher Pyne has serious )uestions to anser.
BENSON! *ell, let+s start at the top. *hat+s the e#idence that ,ony
Abbott as in#ol#ed$
DREYFUS! ,he easel ords that the Prime Minister used during public
statements some time back, hen he said that he had no particular
knoledge. ,hat+s the sort of thing one says hen you in fact ha#e some
knoledge and he needs to be asked, and he needs to anser - ell, .ust
hat as his in#ol#ement in this matter.
BENSON! And hat about Christopher Pyne, the !ducation Minister$ "as
he not simply made a statement, an une)ui#ocal statement of innocence$
DREYFUS! %t+s not a matter of saying /%+m innocent0. "o often did he
meet Mr Ashby$ *hen did he meet Mr Ashby$ At hat point, hat
inducements did he ofer Mr Ashby$ Did he ofer inducements to Mr
Ashby$
1one of those )uestions ha#e been ansered, and %+d like to see
Christopher Pyne actually submitting to a proper inter#ie in hich he is
asked those )uestions and he gi#es non2e#asi#e ansers.
BENSON! "o should this be resol#ed, is there a legal process that
should be undertaken$
DREYFUS! % think e+#e had a legal process, hich Mr Ashby decided
freely not to go on ith and ha#ing done huge damage, of course, by
bringing the proceeding 2 and that you ha#e to imagine as hat (iberal
Party MPs anted to occur. ,hey got hat they anted.
%t+s clear though that Mr Ashby did not act alone. "e didn+t dream up all of
this. And it+s clear that there+s been in#ol#ement of (iberal MPs. !3actly
hat that in#ol#ement as, hen they got in#ol#ed, hat they said, e
still don+t kno.
BENSON! %s it orth pursuing no$
DREYFUS! % think it+s alays orth pursuing this kind of grubby conduct
by members of the 4ederal Parliament. %t+s orth pursuing because e
need to kno .ust hat they did. %t+s an e3traordinary e#ent that occurred
here, this attack on the 5peaker of the "ouse of 6epresentati#es and it+s
clear that a number of (iberal MPs ere in#ol#ed - in particular Mal
7rough, Christopher Pyne, *yatt 6oy and ,ony Abbott, to some e3tent.
% don+t kno, it+s for him to anser hat e3tent he as in#ol#ed in this,
but they should be asked these )uestions and they should anser.
Australians are entitled to kno the ay in hich their MPs beha#e.
BENSON! A )uestion has been raised about ho reliable James Ashby
himself is8 because it9s pointed out that there are inconsistencies in hat
he said on ,: last night and hat he pre#iously told the court. "a#ing told
the court he as not ofered inducements, on ,: last night he pointed to
inducements.
DREYFUS! ,hese (iberal MPs ho are no saying #arious things about
James Ashby seem to ha#e been )uite happy to use him back in ;'<< and
;'<;. ,hey+re no happy to spit him out.
BENSON! Mark Dreyfus, %+ll lea#e it there. ,hanks #ery much.
DREYFUS! ,hanks Marius.
ENDS