Sunday 17 November 2013

The Lies Abbott Tells - Part Two


ABC The Insiders on 10 November 2013 provided the Australian electorate with very clear evidence of how Australian Minister Tony Abbott continues to utter political lies with gay abandon.

THE LIE

TONY ABBOTT, PRIME MINISTER (at press conference): People are entitled to ask whatever questions they want at those briefings. Not only is the minister on hand to address issues but you have got General Campbell the commander of Operation Sovereign Borders on hand.
They are happy to answer questions as fully as they can.

THE REALITY

(Excerpt from weekly briefing plays)
JOURNALIST 1 (at briefing): The overnight incident. What's become of that boat of asylum seekers?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL ANGUS CAMPBELL, COMMANDER, OPERATION SOVEREIGN BORDERS: I will not comment further in relation to on water matters. Thank you.
JOURNALIST 1: General this is of great public interest, the fate of those people…
LIEUTENANT GENERAL ANGUS CAMPBELL: I will not comment further in relation to on-water matters.
JOURNALIST 1: Have they been sent to Indonesia?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL ANGUS CAMPBELL: I will not comment further in relation to on-water matters. I think we've dealt with that question.
JOURNALIST 2: But in terms of making a judgment, if those asylum seekers do come to Australia doesn't that mean your turn back the boats policy is kind of...
SCOTT MORRISON, IMMIGRATION MINISTER: Well you've made a whole bunch of assumptions there which I'm not about to speculate on.
JOURNALIST 2: Well maybe you can clear them up for us?
SCOTT MORRISON: Well you're the one making the presumptions not me.
JOURNALIST 1: Is it the case that the overnight incident is not resolved and that's why more information is not forthcoming?
SCOTT MORRISON: It's an ongoing operational matter and the persons at risk have all been accounted for.
We're not going to go into the micro detail of these operational matters.
JOURNALIST 3 (at briefing): Well I don't think that's micro detail, I think. Did you help them? …
SCOTT MORRISON: What we are saying is we rendered assistance…
JOURNALIST 3: … And what assistance was that?
SCOTT MORRISON: ... and all the people have been accounted for…
JOURNALIST 3: Can you tell us what…
SCOTT MORRISON: … so we can go around this for a lot longer, but that is the position.
(Excerpt ends)

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