Peter Dutton is standing firm behind former prime minister Scott Morrison despite mounting pressure on the former leader to resign from parliament.
The damning robodebt royal commission found Mr Morrison had “allowed cabinet to be misled” as social services minister when the “crude and cruel” system was introduced.
Mr Morrison has “completely” rejected the adverse findings, claiming them to be “wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission” and has given no indication he would step down from the seat of Cook.
Mr Dutton says Australia must retain its presumption of innocence until guilt is proven and respect Mr Morrison’s rejection of the adverse findings.
But that hasn’t stopped calls from all sides of politics for the former prime minister to follow the lead of fellow former ministers responsible for the scheme Alan Tudge and Stuart Robert in quitting parliament.
The resignation of both since last May’s election has triggered two by-elections, with voters in Mr Robert’s former seat of Fadden heading to the polls on Saturday.
Asked again whether he believed Mr Morrison should leave parliament, Mr Dutton said ultimately it was a decision for the former prime minister.
“I think it’s Scott’s decision as to whether he stays or goes, he’s a good representative of his local community and he’ll make the decision that’s right for him,” Mr Dutton told 2GB before seeking to shift the focus to the next general election.
“To be honest, I think for people who have served their country as prime minister, as would be the case of Mr Albanese after the next election when we win … the expectation is that he would go to a by-election, serve a full term, and that’s really then a judgment for him.”
Since the report was released last week, Nationals leader David Littleproud, Liberal MP Bridget Archer and senator Andrew Bragg have all suggested Mr Morrison should resign from the seat of Cook, while other party room colleagues speculated the adverse findings would prompt Mr Morrison to dig in.
Labor, on the other hand – spearheaded by Government Services Minister Bill Shorten – has called for Mr Morrison to step down. On Monday, Mr Shorten said any “self-respecting politician” would be “embarrassed and humiliated” by the adverse findings.
On the findings against Mr Morrison in the robodebt royal commission, Mr Dutton backed his former leader.
“I make this important point: We live in a country where you’re innocent until you’re proven guilty, and we need to be careful because particularly in recent years the advent of social media that somehow people are guilty and need to prove their innocence,” he said.
“That is not how our system operates, regardless of who you are. And if you’ve done the wrong thing, and there’s a finding of guilt, then you should be held to account for that and answer to it and cop the penalty, but we don’t find guilt before innocence.
“And this is not a judge and jury process, but there are lessons to be learned and that’s the situation that we’re in at the moment.”