Bill Shorten talks down prospect of royal commission targeting Liberals
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Version 0 of 1. Bill Shorten has talked down the prospect of a future Labor government under his leadership setting up a royal commission which targets the Liberals. Opposition frontbencher Kim Carr said on Friday a future Labor government would be under “incredible pressure” to respond to the precedent Tony Abbott has set in pursuing two royal commissions into Labor-related issues. “This government is not acting in the national interests, is not acting in the interest of Australians and is seeking to use state power in a way we haven’t seen in this country and we do, of course, see in other countries,” Labor’s industry spokesperson said. Related: Bill Shorten at the royal commission: no killer blow, but now for the aftermath “This has all the hallmarks of a totalitarian regime, trying to put its political opponents on trial,” he said. On Wednesday and Thursday Shorten gave extended evidence at the royal commission into trade union corruption. A commission set up by the Abbott government has also investigated the former Rudd government home insulation scheme. “If I and Labor were privileged to form a government, we would elevate the standards,” Shorten told reporters in Melbourne on Friday. Shorten said Carr was “reflecting the concern of many Australians that Mr Abbott is debasing democracy”. |